Reckless
by JensDunkan
Summary: How many times can one women screw up? Can there be a happy ending in real life? The story of Jane Shepard and her drama-filled journey called life. Set in an alternate universe, Shepard's a crime boss, Nihlus doesn't die, and Saren is a little more insane. Then there's the one they call Archangel :) Follow/Favorite and let me know what you think. A huge thanks to LadyofGaming!
1. Chapter 1

Shepard always tried not to think about the bad things that happened in her life. Her red tipped, blonde hair swung in the gentle artificial breeze while she sat in a park near the Presidium Commons. She often came here when she needed to think;To just clear her mind of the day to day shit she had to deal with. On a daily basis she, fucking Jane Shepard, would have to basically babysit many of the idiots she called employees. They would almost always mess something up and she would have to fix it. Many of the jobs were just simple supply runs or to make some scandalous politician disappear. From the outside, "Safe Guard" was your everyday health insurance company. On the inside, it was a network of clients, growers, calculated kills, and a whole lot of keeping C- Sec off their asses.

Jane sighed and tried to put her mind back into the book she was reading. It was ironic really; nobody would ever suspect a 120 pound, 5'5, blonde haired, blue eyed 22 year old of being one of the most successful crime bosses on the Citadel. She again sighed while running a hand through her hair. Relaxation today was not going to come through reading. Standing up, she brought her book to her chest and grabbed her designer bag from the ground where she once sat. People often looked at her weird when she sat in the park, still wearing her perfectly ironed skirt suite and shiny heels.

Walking towards the transit station, she already had in mind what type of stress relief she wanted tonight. Shepard took the skycar to her apartment on the Silverstrip, changing from polished business woman to eager club-goer.

…...

She decided on the Casino's bar; and immediately went for the hard drinks, one after another until she reached her comfortable fog. All around her, people danced. Asari, turians, humans even a single drell had joined the action. Jane's mind wandered, thinking of what it would be like to fuck a drell. Where their packages as lizardy as the rest of them? Shaking the thought out of her mind, Jane downed more of her drink. While lost in thought, she had failed to notice the tall, dark turian that had found a seat a few stools down from her. He was definitely a prospect lover for her tonight. Jane had been with many human lovers but her favorite were the turians. Muscular, tall; and boy, did they know how to pleasure a girl, probably due to the fact that they were much bigger than human males.

She sat at the bar sipping on her drink; just watching, waiting for herself to make up her mind. Fuck the turian or don't?

A human male, who had been staring at her ass for most of the night, made his way over to her and ordered her another drink. Jane was quick to shoot him down from his high horse, refusing to acknowledge his presence. After some awkward throat-clearing, and soft nudges the man moved away from her with a shrug of the shoulders and made his way to another woman on the dance floor. Jane laughed to herself and stared at her half empty glass. Quickly, she put her eyes back on a certain turian she had scoped out earlier. Finally, after making up her mind, she gave herself the green light and stood. Gracefully and drink in hand, she made her way over to the turian.

He had beautiful white markings, that stood out due to his dark plating. Jane placed her glass on the counter and slid into the seat next to him. He spoke to her, his voice like silk.

"I was wondering when you were going to stop staring and just come over here already."

Jane laughed and turned to look at him, her gaze intense.

"I like to survey my prey before I go in for the kill."

The turian broke their gaze to look at her from head to toe and then again locked onto her blue eyes.

"I like your spark blondie. Tell me, have you ever been with one of my kind before?"

She slid off her stool and onto his lap, putting her left hand onto the back of his cowl.

"Trying to scare me off now?" She laughed.

Nihlus shifted under her, bringing an arm to her thigh.

"Not at all. I was simply wondering if I would have to educate you in turian anatomy." He brought his mouth to her ear. "I can be a _very good_ educator."

Jane shuttered under his words, her core beginning to feel as if it were on fire. She reached for her drink and took a sip.

"My name is Jane by the way, just so you know what to call out later."

The dark turian's mandibles fluttered with surprise at her blunt words. Bringing his hand higher up her thigh, he began to run it up and down getting closer and closer to her crotch. Jane could already see the lust in his eyes; mirroring her own feeling. She brought her mouth close to his neck, covering it in butterfly kisses before whispering in his ear.

"Why don't we leave before we end up fucking each other in the stall of the men's bathroom."

The turian growled lowly, liking her suggestion.

...

The shadows of the two danced on and off the wall, as the artificial moon served as a light source. Nearing their end, the two shadows began to slow until, Jane's laid on her stomach, panting.

"I've got to hand it to you." She said with a laugh. "That's some of the best sex I've had in a long time."

The turian too laughed as he rolled to his side to face her.

"Well it also helped that your very educated in turian anatomy."

He trailed a talon down her back.

"Too bad I couldn't teach you much. I'm awfully fond of being in control."

Jane, with her eyes closed, gave a short grunt in reply. She stayed like that for a minute before getting out of bed, letting the covers fall off herself. As she searched for her clothes, the turian watched her.

"You know you don't have to leave." He said.

Jane stopped what she was doing for the moment to look at him.

"I know." She started pulling on her dress she had found. "It just makes things easier. I don't have to explain to my neighbors why I'm coming home at 8 o'clock in the morning."

Jane laughed, trying to cover up the sadness in her voice. She actually really liked this guy, but she couldn't risk it. She didn't know anything about him or what he even did for a living. But judging from his condo, he was paid well.

She looked away and continued to dress herself, tying her long blonde hair in a knot on the top of her head. She could see from the corner of her eye that turian was still watching her. She smiled at him.

"So, you never did tell your name." She stated.

He didn't say anything for a moment; a little confused.

"Oh. I hadn't realized I forgotten to mention it" He sat up and leaned against the headboard of his bed. "Spectre Nihlus Kryik at your service." With a wink he waited for her reply.

Jane stood frozen. He got out of his bed and walked towards her, looking up into his face, Jane searched for something to say. Nothing. He moved closer and grasped her shoulders, Shepard found the strength to returned his touch with her own, running her hands over his muscular chest. Nihlus brought up his hand and pushed a stray hair behind her ear.

"I didn't realize my name was that scary." He laughed.

Again she didn't answer and panic began to take over her body. She, Jane Shepard, was in to home of a spectre. One of the people she tried so hard to stay away from. Nihlus felt her tense beneath his touch.

"Are you alright?" He asked with genuine worry.

Jane slowly stepped backwards, trying to act as she had before she learned his true identity.

"I'm sorry but I just really need to be heading home now. I forgot that I have some paper-work that needs to be done by tomorrow"

She quickly found her things before heading out the door; not even bothering to put on her shoes.

...

Shepard walked down the pathways towards her apartment, mentally kicking herself the entire way. Stupid. Incredibly stupid. That's what she had been. Of course Nihlus had to be a spectre. One of the people that would put her in jail for the rest of her life. And she had slept with him. She could feel it now, the headache that came with stress. She always knew that someday her reckless behavior would come back to bite her in the ass, she also that knew Nihlus would follow her home, to make sure she got there safely.

From the way she acted when she left, the poor guy probably thought she was going to kill somebody. She probably would though. She'll just order her guys to make it look like a suicide. Jane shook her head, it would never work. Her employees were nowhere good enough to pull off a such a delicate job as a spectre killing himself.

She turned the corner to her apartment. Stepping into the elevator, she watched the doors thinking of an excuse to tell Nihlus, why she wouldn't let him inside. She stepped out, walking quickly down the hall she practically ran to her door. Looking around; She let out a sigh of relief. Maybe Nihlus hadn't been followed her home. Opening her door, she walked towards the center of her apartment waiting for her automatic lights to turn on. Nothing but darkness greeted her. Uneasiness overtook her. Pulling her pistol out of her purse, Shepard aimed at the shadows. Skimming the right side of her apartment, near the kitchen, she saw it. The lighting that ran through his body. Saren. He was here... in her apartment.

"How the hell did you find me?" She gritted through her teeth.

He watched her as he opened his omnitool to turn the lights on. His glowing eyes followed her every move as she pointed her gun at his head.

"Why are you here?" Jane glared at him.

Saren crept closer, forcing her to step backwards until her back hit the wall behind her. Saren pushed himself against her, placing his hands on either side of her head.

"Now, here I thought you'd be happy to see me." He said sarcastically.

Shepard could feel his breath on her face. Memories flooded her head; they made her want to throw up. She found a brief moment of courage, and fired back at his words.

"Last time I checked you killed my best guys, took my money and ran." She felt like spitting in his face. "Next thing I know, you were one of the most famous spectres in the galaxy."

Saren laughed at her, her words not effecting him at all.

"I always did love your spunk"

He grabbed her wrists, making her drop her gun, then ground his pelvis against hers. He looked her in the eyes.

"Those beautiful blue eyes, I missed those too."

She struggled, trying to break his grasps with no success. Saren ran his talons through her hair, ripping it out of the knot it was in.

"Stop now. No need to be so-"

Jane head butted him. Saren brought one hand up to his face to find blue blood running from his nose. He slapped Jane hard across her face. She fell to the floor and quickly reached for her gun that lay near Saren's feet. Saren charged forward, meaning to kick her, but she rolled from his reach. Standing back on her two feet she aimed at him once again.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't blow your head off. "

He didn't comply as he ran towards her, reaching to grab her again when there was a knock on the door. Jane looked to the door as Saren grabbed her, taking her gun and shoving it into her lower back.

"Ah and who could that be?" He pushed her towards the door with the barrel of the gun.

She opened it, already knowing who it was. Nihlus stood outside the door, looking to the floor.

"I just wanted to-" Nihlus looked up at the two, recognizing Saren. "Arterius? I didn't know you were back from your last assignment yet." He then looked at Jane noticing the red marks on her body. "I didn't know you knew Jane either." A hint of anger encased his last words.

Saren took the gun away from Jane's back waving it in the air to invite Nihlus inside, he then moved to the other side of the room. Cautiously stepping inside, Nlihlus kept an eye on Jane as he walked towards her. Saren stood pistol in hand, smirking, watching them both.

Jane stayed quiet. She didn't know what to say at this point. Of course Nihlus knew Saren. She couldn't believe it. Her fucking luck was terrible. She let herself slip into some old memories. Most of them with Saren including beatings and sometimes sex that most would call rape. Saren's voice brought her out of her trance.

"So, Nihlus, what brings you to OUR apartment?"

Jane clenched her jaw, wanting to speak up but not wanting another beating when Nihlus finally left.

Next to her, Nihlus once again eyed her, trying to find some answers on her face.

"I wanted to make sure Jane made it home safely. I didn't realize you and Jane were together."

Saren laughed.

"Jane does like to keep secrets but we're not together." He turned towards the large window behind him to look through it. "It's more of a-temporary fix thing- as some might call it."

Nihlus nodded his head and quickly glanced towards Jane as Saren made his way towards the gun barrel to lift up her chin, he looked into her eyes.

"Tell him about all your secrets Janey. Tell him about all the people you've screwed over."

Nihlus watched him, trying to understand why his old spectre partner and friend, was acting in such a way.

"Now Saren, I don't think that's necessary."

Saren's head snapped from Jane to Nihlus in a split second. He stormed at him.

"Don't tell me Kryik. You know your paragon methods don't always work."

At that moment Saren turned back to Jane. Nihlus stood in shock, trying to wrap his head around the whole situation.

"Now where was I- oh yes. Jane, why don't you tell your new friend her about everything you've done. I bet he'd enjoy it." Saren finished with a faint but evil smile.

Jane straightened her back and ground her teeth, not planning on saying anything. The bastard was trying to expose her, trying to cut himself out of the picture he had helped create. Standing behind her, Saren knocked Jane to the floor. He then put his foot on her stomach, forcing her to stay on her back.

"I'm waiting."

She didn't say anything; too busy gasping for air. Nihlus walked across the room, gun drawn.

"Stop this madness Arterius." He demanded.

Saren didn't cooperate, stepping down even harder.

"Don't you want your answers?"

Through the gasps Jane managed a 'FUCK YOU'. She could see Nihlus getting closer to her and Saren. She wanted to tell him to just leave before Saren killed him but again fear overtook her. She could feel her lungs collapsing under his weight. Every second she didn't answer the more weight he put on her. Jane began to black out, she couldn't see what was happening but suddenly the weight was gone and there was gunfire. She sat up in time to see Saren and Nihlus fighting each other. Nihlus was on top of Saren continuously punching him. Saren laughed in between each blow, each chuckle getting louder, angrier. Before Nihlus could react, Saren had grabbed him by the throat, stood and had began slamming him into the wall. Jane watched, trembling with every hit. She watched Nihlus' blood run down his back, down the wall. Suddenly, he reached out to her, looking in her eyes and gasping out one word:

"Run."

And that's what she did. She ran.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything blurred around her, her heartbeat a drum in her ears. People watched as she ran, whispering wondering questions. She fled from fear, from the past that always seemed to show up at the worst times. Jane didn't know where she was running to. She knew that Nihlus was probably dead by now, laying face first into the wood floor of her apartment, and that Saren was definitely looking for her so he could finish what he started. Her lungs burned and the taste of salt filled her mouth from the tears that ran down her face. Damn Saren, for making her act like this. What would her employees think of her now? Their big, bad boss crying over things that happened years ago.

Still running she brought herself back to reality, realizing that while she ran she attracted unneeded attention. She slowed, wiped the tears off her face and turned into the nearest store she could find. Turning and planning on going through the shop's door, she hit something hard. The impact made her fly backwards onto her ass.

"What the hell!" She yelled from the floor.

She looked up to see what she had run into. Looking down on her was a turian C-Sec officer; clad in blue armor, gray plating with a brown undertone and eyes bluer than the artificial sky. The turian cleared his throat.

"Are you alright ma'am?" He asked, mandibles flat against his face.

She stood pulling her dress down as it had risen to show her lace, black underwear.

"Yes I'm fine." She answered, irritation showing.

Her cheeks turned beat red with embarrassment. The turian, walked over to help her up but Jane refused his offer.

"I said I was fine." She hissed.

The turian's posture stiffened.

I know, I was just-"

Jane stood, not wanting to hear the officer's apology. The turian watched her as she shoved her way past him into the store, Jane hoped Saren hadn't been around to see what had just happened.

...

After spending hours visiting endless shops and finding something else to wear besides the dress she had on, Jane's empty stomach reminded her that she could no longer run on the drinks from the night before. She stopped at the famous Roman noodle place in the Zakera Ward. It was owned by an earth born human who had dreams of one day opening another restaurant back home, he would often shout out at those who walked by to try and bring in business.

Jane sat at the bar style counter and ordered, giving the waiter her usual charm that always got her discounts. Once the noodles arrived she sat happily eating, not even thinking of what happened a few hours ago. She was just about to take one of the few mouthfuls left when the TV was turned to the evening news.

"Tonight on TCNN, news channel 2. Well known and respected spectre Nihlus Kryik was found by partner Saren, critically injured in one of the many Silverstrip apartments. He was moved to Heurta Memorial Hospital, where he remains in the care of the best doctors on the Citadel. So far we have no info on the perpetrator or how he ended up in the apartment. More on this story and other news after these messages. "

Jane swallowed her noodles and sat in awe. She was sure of one thing, she was in deep shit. She left the bowl of noodles, leaving enough money to cover her bill, grabbed her things and headed towards the little park near the presidium. The one place she could think.

...

Once again sitting in her favorite spot in the small park, Shepard gazed at the false sky. Nothing ever changed here and she liked it; the same fake breeze, the same sky, the same benches and trees. It gave her a sense of solid ground. Something she never had before. Thankfully, she bought her apartment under a false name, so they couldn't link her into Nihlus's beating. She lowered her head to the side seeing once again the cloud shaped like a bunny. Her thoughts still caught up with her though.

What if Saren blamed it on her like he had before? What if when Nihlus recovered, if he recovered, he told the authorities what Saren did? Then the mess would get even bigger. Tomorrow was Monday, so that meant falling back into the same endless cycle of crap and she didn't need this to add to it. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them. It was starting to get dark, she hadn't realized she had been sitting there for that long. She also hadn't noticed the other people that had joined her in the park. An asari-human couple with their child and an older women sitting on a bench knitting. Very few C- Sec officers ever patrolled this area, so it also surprised her when she saw, the blue eyed one she had run into earlier.

He walked left to right, right to left through the middle of the park; Kicking a pebble that stood in his way from time to time. He looked so bored, it made Jane laugh as she once again turned to watch the sky.

...

She stayed at the park until the outdoor lights came on throughout the park and streets. She really wished she had left while it was still daylight, as images of Saren crept into her mind. She could imagine him jumping her from an alleyway or some shadowed corner, tearing her clothes of and beating her into submission. No. Fear again made its way through her body. NO. She stood, grabbed her things and remained still, afraid to take any steps. A deep voice brought her out of her trance and she was once again met by incredible blue eyes.

"Are you ok?" The turian C- Sec officer once again asked her.

She tried to speak. She opened her mouth to lie but nothing came out. She instead nodded. The turian nodded in return but did not move.

"You can at least try and lie better." He grinned at her the best he could, with him being turian and all. Jane looked at him passively.

"Maybe I'm still upset about you running me over earlier today." She halfheartedly joked.

He laughed. "I knew you looked familiar, and I'm truly sorry about that. I always knew humans were smaller than us but I didn't know they could fly." He smirked at her again.

Jane laughed; genuinely laughed. She liked this turian, and believe it or not, not in a way that she wanted to go home and just fuck him. She liked him in a way like she had known him forever, like they were friends.

"What's your name officer? So I can tell your boss how you took out an innocent bystander and then laughed about it?" She said while grinning.

"What makes you think I'd tell you now that you've threatened me?" He joked.

Jane crossed her arms, bags in hand.

"Fine. I'll just find out your name another way"

The turian tilted his head and snorted.

"How? Are you some super crime boss?You gonna have your men beat the answers out of me?" He laughed.

It wasn't funny to Jane. If he actually knew who she was, he would be running away from her by now. The turian's grin fell as he saw her look.

"I was just kidding, no need to look like you're about to murder me." He said.

The turian put his hands up to show his playful surrender. Jane snorted, shoved her way past him and walked towards the nearest transit. The officer followed closely behind.

"I was just kidding ma'am, I'm sorry if I offended you" His face showed truth.

"It's fine" Added Jane.

She then noticed a name on his badge she hadn't seen before.

"Ah. So you're a Vakarian?" She asked.

Garrus tilted his head in question.

"What?"

He looked utterly confused, unsure of how the woman learned his name. Shepard shook her head and pointed to his badge.

"Oh! This? You must have heard of my father then. "

Jane nodded her head and laughed.

"Who hasn't heard of the famous detective? I had no idea he had a son."

"Sounds like you know him personally." Said the turian.

Jane's smile faded and she looked to her shoes.

"No. I just. Watch a lot of TV. Gotta love them reality gossip shows."

The turian looked at her with some weirdness.

"Right." He smirked. "Anyway... you can just call me Garrus. Vakarian makes me feel like my father."

"Am I sensing some bitterness there?" Asked Jane.

Garrus shrugged it off.

" Fine. If you'll leave me alone, I need to get home "

Jane turned and started walking away.

"Nice meeting you-" Garrus yelled from behind her.

"It's Jane." She yelled back over her shoulder.

Jane imagined him nodding and smiling behind her, before she ordered her taxi for her backup apartment in the commons of the Citadel.


	3. Chapter 3

The commons weren't actually that bad. Jane had spent the last few days here and so far the people were much nicer than at the Silverstrip and, even better, there was no sign of Saren. She tried to forget about what had happened, but in one way or another someone reminded her that she could either be arrested or attacked at any minute.

Her incapable employees had been messing up runs all week, making her an even bigger target than before. Every time she left her apartment she brought a pistol, hidden under her clothes. She even had some paid protection to watch her door at night so she could sleep. Not that they would be able to stop Saren anyway, but the thought helped numb her paranoia.

Whenever she left for the office, Garrus, who she found out lived a few doors down from her, would be leaving for C-Sec. They would often share a few laughs or chats whenever they saw each other. For the first time in what seemed like Jane's life, she had a friend. Not someone that wanted something from her or someone that she paid; Just a friend. Still she couldn't shake the fact that he was C-Sec. Karma was a bitch and a big one at that. Jane often felt bad about the things she would have to do to him if he ever found out what she actually did do for a liiving. He was a good man, turian, whatever. Stupid thoughts. Stupid Saren. Stupid Garrus for acting like her friend and then there was fucking Nihlus. He just had to make sure she had gotten home safe, he just HAD to care. Over a one night thing too. The poor guy must have been very lonely. Him and all those dark plates and muscles-

…...

She was doing it again, thinking about the wrong things at the wrong times. All she really wanted to do was get this paperwork done so she could send her goons out to hack the poor victims bank account. Jane brushed her hair out of her face and began to once again type the info into her terminal. She had been at the office since six this morning and eight hours later she really just wanted to go home and take a hot shower, so she could break in the new toy she had bought from one of the many adult shops on the Citadel. She sighed and stood up from her desk to pour herself another cup of coffee. It was fresh and scorched her throat as she drank, the pain helped to wake her from her dreamy state. Walking back towards her desk, she heard a knock on her door. She watched, waiting for whoever had knocked to walk through. When no one appeared, she started towards her desk again. Five more knocks, this time more panicked. Jane jogged towards the obsessive noise and ripped the door open. Her secretary stood outside.

"Celia? Why didn't you just use the intercom?" Asked Jane.

The young asari looked nervous and spoke quickly.

"I tried many times, ma'am, but you didn't answer."

Jane rolled her eyes at the girl. After minutes passed, ill patience got the best of her.

"Well, what did you need?"

The secretary swallowed hard and didn't say anything, knowing what Jane would do once she found out why she was in such a panicked state.

"Some C- Sec officers are outside in the waiting room. They wish to speak to you about something" The nervous girl finally answered.

It was Jane's turn to panic.

"Did they tell you what they wanted to talk about?"

"No, they just said it was urgent and to get you immediately." Responded Celia.

Jane pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.

"Shit ! Just go back out there and tell them I'll be out in a few minutes."

The girl jumped at her employers sudden explosion.

"Y-y-y-yes ma'am!"

The young asari raced back to where the officers waited for Jane.

Working fast, Jane put all of the day's work onto her omnitool like she did at the end of every day and flashed her terminal, deleting everything on it. After, she quickly went to one of the closets in the room and pulled out extra thermal clips just in case it turned into a firefight. Her pistol was snugly strapped to her upper thigh under her designer dress. She then smoothed her hair and put on a fake smile, trying to look as innocent as everyone thought she was.

….

As she passed through the entryway into the waiting room, she immediately recognized one of the turian officers.

"Garrus?!"

She had accidentally called out his name, in shock of seeing him. He looked to where he had heard his name. Not giving her the usual grin she was used to. Jane's smiled faded as she counted how many officers had come. Five. There were five of them. Great. Once again she was forced to put on a mask or risk being handcuffed.

"What can I help you guys with?" She asked as politely as she could.

A human officer stepped towards her.

"Miss, we represent the case involving Spectre Nihlus Kryik. We have been informed that you were a witness to the assault and need you to come with us for questioning."

Jane didn't let the breath she was holding go and looked to Garrus, trying to find something to say. In Garrus' eyes all she could see was pity, and she hated it. It made her feel like she was a little and incompetent. She looked back to the man.

"I don't know who told you I was involved, but I can assure you I wasn't there when it happened."

The human officer looked at her with surprise.

"I'm sorry Miss but we both know that's a lie."

Jane's features became dark and she slowly brought her hand down to the side her pistol was strapped to her leg.

"Who told you I was involved?" She asked as her hand settled on the familiar features of the gun. " I'm telling the truth when I say I have no idea what happened."

Across the room, Garrus' face became contorted with anger.

"Stop the fucking lies! Nihlus himself told me what happened and ask me to make sure you were alive!" Garrus couldn't control the anger in his subharmonics, showing his loyalty towards Nihlus.

Jane tensed at the sound of Nihlus's name and the irony of what Garrus had just told her. He had survived and had told someone what happened. She nodded slowly and allowed them to handcuff her as they led her to out the doors of the building. Garrus put a hand on her shoulder, anger replaced once again with pity.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Hurt filled his eyes.

Jane shrugged his hand off her shoulder and continued to walk, not even looking at him.

She was in for it now. Everything she had built, her business, her new life out of the grasps of Saren; Everything would be gone after this little talk with C-Sec. What made things worse was the thought of her losing the one of the few friends she had.


	4. Chapter 4

Jane kept her head down, the entire way to the skycar. She didn't look to anyone and just nodded whenever she was spoken to. Garrus had tried speaking to her multiple times, each of his words just a jumble of sounds, none she chose to listen to. Right now, the internal battle Jane was dealing with left her numb. She hated herself for allowing her mind to be dragged into Saren's tricks once more, she hated the C-Sec officers even more for their never ending cycle of worthless questions. She wanted silence, a break from the questions, a break from her endless thoughts and an end to Saren's bullshit.

The skycar finally reached the C-Sec outer station and she was again led inside yet another building. It seemed like every officer and whining civilian looked at her as they walked through the main lobby and into one of the restricted areas of the station. There was a long hallway, only lit by a few blue wall lamps. They walked by dozens of doors; some empty, some being used by other officers. Then, as they got to the second to last door, she heard it: the voice that haunted many of her dreams. Jane's heart stopped along with her legs when they led her through, half dragging her, her eyes to the floor. She didn't want to look up and see his face, the face the made her feel cold, frozen. But she had to. She had to prove that he no longer controlled her. Jane Shepard was no longer Saren Arterius' puppet. Conjuring up some of the strength and dignity she had left, Jane lifted her head and stared into the abyss.

Saren stood within the center of the room near a table, chatting up executor Pallin. Obviously, Pallin had no clue Saren had attempted to murder Nihlus a few weeks ago. Garrus came to stand in front of Jane, blocking the intense gaze she had set on Saren. She again let her head fall and let out a heavy breath. Garrus huffed in reply and turned to Pallin, nodding to let him know everyone was ready to begin.

The room was crowded, dry and stuffy. Saren's gaze snapped to Jane the moment Garrus announced the questioning could begin. He saved a sinister smile for Jane as she looked to him. She was motioned to sit in the single metal chair on the far side of the table. She obeyed, slowly setting her handcuffs clinking against the metal material it was made out of. All the officers in the room had turned their backs to her whispering, Garrus stood in the corner looking at Saren like he wanted to kill him and Saren stood in front of Jane, watching her every twitch, and breath; hell he could probably see her blood pump through her veins with all those implants he had. He reached towards her hands quickly and Jane flinched expecting him to grab her. Instead, he slid a key into her hand-cuffs and took them off. Another evil smile slipped through his features.

"Now, Jane, no need to be afraid." He turned to hand the cuffs to another officer. "You're in good hands here. "

His voice was mocking and sarcastic, and left a shiver down Jane's back. Garrus walked towards them as he saw Jane flinch. Saren looked at him in the corner of his eye.

"No need to hover Vakarian. I was just trying to make the suspect more comfortable. "

His sadistic undertone reached Garrus' ears. A low grow escaped his throat aimed at Saren, all the turians in the room turned to him. Pallin quickly making his way to stand between the two.

"Easy now you two." He looked to both on them and then settled on Garrus "I'd rather have you wait outside until the questioning is done."

"What?!" Garrus yelled in shock.

He stiffened, ready to disobey his superior's orders.

"You heard what I said Vakarian." Demanded Pallin.

Saren gave Garrus the same smirk he had given Jane as he watched him be escorted out of the room. Pallin handed him a folder, eyeing him more than needed and hesitantly motioned for the other officers to leave to room. Jane and Saren were left alone. Something she had not been planning on; obviously something Saren had. As soon as he was sure the other officers were out of the sight and sound zone he blacked out the window of the door, hacked the cameras and locked the door. Jane quickly stood from her seat, bringing her hand to her side where the pistol rested.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? " She asked frantically.

Saren laughed lowly and put his hands behind his back looking to the floor.

"Please Jane, don't act so clueless. You know I like to finish what I start." He then let his arms slump to his sides and rolled his neck, getting a satisfying crack. "It was a shame Nihlus showed up, I actually kind of liked him. If it wasn't for his redundant 'SOCIETY FIRST' moral he had going on. "

Saren walked closer towards her as she back away, never taking his eyes off hers. Jane watched him even closer, trying to guess his next move. Saren's talons twitched at his sides, the whole situation starting to look like an old western gun match. Moving quickly towards her, Saren reached out and grabbed Jane, digging his talons into her shoulder and pinning to the wall behind her. She struggled against his force,fighting back. This time she wouldn't let him control her. Bringing her fists up, she swung, knocking him hard in the lower jaw. His head flew backwards, almost seeming as if it were in slow motion. Saren spit blood from his mouth laughed, cracking his neck.

Again, Saren grabbed both of Jane's arms and swung her around, letting her go to skid across the concrete floor. She stood and charged towards him as he turned his back to her, using her legs to kick his knees out from under him. He fell back towards her, ripping part of her dress off along the way to reveal her pistol and racy undergarments. Saren flipped over and stood. As he backed up, he took in the sight of her. Not letting her the moment go to waste, Jane quickly pulled up her pistol and shot at him. As she fired first few shots, he lept out of the way. Finally, after the fifth shot, she hit him with a solid shot through the shoulder. Saren screamed in pain and brought his hand to where his blood started to poor out. Quickly, his pain turned to rage. Stalking towards the center of the room, he grabbed one of the metal chairs and hurled it at Jane. She ducked just in time for the chair to miss her head by only a few inches. Saren charged her, as she fell into a fighting stance, no longer allowing him to feed off the fear she once showed.

Saren slowed himself and followed suit, giving her a small smirk, he waited for her to strike first. Jane knew her enemies well, and also knew that this particular enemy's impatience and anger would get the best of him and it did. He roared and lunged at her, giving her the upper hand. Every punch she made landed right where she wanted with a THUACK! Even more rage reverberated from Saren's body. He ran straight through the table that stood between them, knocking it over and he grabbed Jane by the throat.

"I will make you pay for that Shepard. " He growled at her.

Bad memories flooded her mind as she clawed at her throat. Saren's grip was uncrackable as he was able to hold on her, pick up the table and bend her over it all in one solid motion. He let go of her and pinned her arms with one hand behind her back. Rippling off her underwear with his talons, he brought his tongue to her neck, dragging it all the way to her ear.

"It fills me with glee when you fail Shepard."

Jane again struggled against him as he undid the waistband of his pants. He quickly jerked her up and slammed her back down against the table, there was a popping noise as Jane's shoulder became dislocated. She held in the scream.

"I want to hear your scream. Scream for me Jane." He whispered into her ear as he once again slammed her into the table.

Tears began to slide down her face as fear filled her body. Jane laid limp across the table, there was nothing she could do now. She could now feel his hot member on her ass-cheeks as he positioned himself. She closed her eyes and tried to think of the park, as wavering gasps escaped her lips. Saren enter her sharply and leaned down, putting his cheek against hers.

"Shush now. You'll get into soon. You always do." He said to her with falsified gentleness.

Jane began to cry harder with every thrust he put into her. Memories of the past haunted her. Sweat, blood, pain. Broken bones, bruised skin, torn clothes. Yelling, gunfire, burning, screaming. All to real tears soaking her face. She payed no attention to the turian, penetrating her insides, instead her mind brought her to a memory of innocence. Warm hugs, bright smiles and the smell of freshly baked cookies. Saren dragged his talons down her bare back, watching the blood well up from the wound. Jane was shaken from her dream and brought back to reality.

Then, as if there really was a holy power in the Universe, rasping knuckles thudded against the door. With a gasp Jane's head shot up as she prepared to scream, Saren frozen behind her.


	5. Chapter 5

Garrus Vakarian was a simple turian. He viewed himself as determined, willing and open to new experiences. He was normal. His job at C-Sec was one that many turians had and the military training and childhood of most. The thing that made him different from the rest was that he saw this life as boring. A big no, no in turian standards. Except the role you've been given and stay in line, never question authority. From a young age he wanted to become a Spectre; to travel the stars, pummeling the biggest villains in the galaxy. His father, a highly important detective of C-Sec, was quick to kill that dream. Like any father, he wanted Garrus to follow in his footsteps, which got him to where he was now; Patrolling a small park that contained only five breathing beings.

Walking from one end of the park to another, Garrus began to kick small rocks as he went. After a few minutes passed, he would look up, review the area and count again to see if anyone new had made their way into the park. Whenever he had to patrol here it was always the same. The small park never changed, and was a little outdated. It was just outside the Presidium, which made Garrus wonder why it was never updated like the rest of the area was. Continuing in his walk, a chuckle brought him to attention, he immediately followed the sound to the only human in the park. She had been there for hours and all she did was stare at the sky. It was strange. He shook his head and continued walking, it would be dark soon and he could go home.

...

As soon as the lights came on around the park and streets, Garrus started making his way towards the transit station, his shift would end shortly. He walked towards the mid entrance of the park, only to see the weird human female, standing with a look of terror on her face. He sighed, knowing it was his duty to help and quickly changed his mindset so he could try. She was a bad liar. He didn't know what her problem was but she snapped out of her trance as soon as he spoke. They even shared a view laughs to his surprise. Many of the humans he had come in contact with on the station were either complaining about something being stolen or someone playing music too loud in the apartment next to them.

It turned out that he had seen her before, a lot of her. He later found out that her name was Jane and she lived next to him, which surprised him due to her fancy clothes and shiny shoes. She didn't fit in well with the people who usually lived in the commons. Still, they would talk to each other sometimes on their way to work. About movies or the weather, but he always failed to asked her about the occasional armed man that came out of her apartment. Some things are better left to store in the shadows of his mind, to use for later. She made him wonder, kept him thinking but that's what he liked about her. Garrus very rarely went out of his way to talk to someone like he did Jane. They quickly became friends and he couldn't help but feel protective over her, as he was with all of his friends. He began to notice that often, Jane's face would be blank with fear whenever left her apartment but would abruptly change into a smile when she noticed his presence. Another odd occurrence, Garrus quickly got used to. His plates inched as the familiar tendency to meddle came upon him. Jane Madden, friend or not, held secrets that he couldn't help but wonder about.

...

It was another usual day at C-Sec. Garrus had just finished lunch and was now looking at a few case files before he would have to go on patrol. The one he often checked was the files including Nihlus Kryik, one of his closest family friends. He couldn't believe what had happened to him. Seeing the aftermath of his beating made his whole body ache. Nihlus's nose had been badly broken, along with one of his mandibles and his fringe. His neck was sprained and he had internal bleeding everywhere. Garrus went through the pictures back on his desk, shuttering at each one even though he had seen them many times before, he didn't want to think how badly it must have hurt. The worst part of the whole case was they had no idea who did it. The only DNA traceable was of a human woman who had never been put into the system. They couldn't ask Nihlus either since brain trauma had put him in a coma.

Garrus sighed and leaned back into his chair at his desk. He was suddenly, startled to his feet when one of his human coworkers came running over to his desk, breathless.

"Mr. Vakarian, you've been requested to Huerta Memorial." He stated with urgency.

Garrus eyed and began shoveling Nihlus' files back into their folder.

"By who?"He asked.

Knowing how much his next words would effect their conversation, the human with gentle eyes, quickly answered.

"It's Kryik, Garrus. He's awake and wishes to speak with you immediately"

As soon as 'Kryik' had left the human's mouth Garrus jumped around the man and began running towards the back doors of the academy. If Nihlus was awake then it meant he could finally get the answers he wanted and best of all, that he hadn't lost a friend.

...

Garrus reached the hospital in a hurry. He had ran every red light along the way and went more than the acceptable amount over the speed limit. Running into the hospital's lobby, he found his way to the clerk at the front desk, who was very helpful as soon as he made it known who his friend was. The room was white and metallic, just like the rest of the hospital, but lacked the giant window that many other rooms had. He had figured it had something to do with security measures. To add to the fact that the patient inside was important, other spectres had volunteered to watch over him. They nodded to Garrus as he drew closer to Nihlus. The sight Garrus saw made him want to hurl. All the cases he worked in C-Sec put together couldn't prepare him for seeing his friend in this. It was worse than the pictures and made him question how his friend had even survived. Nihlus' right leg was in a cast and sling. The gauze on his face somewhat hid the many stitches and temporary plates that held him together. His cowl was cracked and patched with something that looked like silly putty. Almost every inch of his body was in a cast, covered in gauze or made immobile to allow for healing.

Garrus crept slowly closer towards Nihlus. At the moment, all his friend could do was stare towards the ceiling. His eyes were closed but Garrus could see his rapid, painful breaths, to fast to be asleep. He stepped closer, grabbing a chair next to the bed to sit in. As he sat down Nihlus's eyes shot open as he flinched, causing the machines he was hooked up to to beep. Nurses immediately surrounded him, pushing Garrus away from the bed. Throughout the chaos and questions flying Nihlus's way, Garrus herd the soft trembling voice of his old friend.

"I am fine. No need to fuss."

Nihlus let out a painful sigh as the nurses began to step back. Most honored his statement and left, only leaving a few behind to reset the machines. Garrus inched back towards the bed, laying a hand on his old friend's arm.

"So, I know you got most of the girls when we were in school." He looked his friend up and down. "You may have some trouble with that now." He said with a quick laugh.

Surprised to hear his friend's voice, Nihlus' eyes widened as he heard his voice and tried to turn his head to see its owner.

"Hold still Nihlus, you don't want to set the machines off again." Coxed Garrus.

Nihlus once again relaxed after Garrus' words. He took a deep breath to speak.

"Garrus." His voice was barely audible, "I was wondered when you would come."

Garrus shifted in his chair, trying not to show concern in his form.

"I rushed over as soon as I was told you were awake." Garrus looked over his friend again and shuttered. "How are you feeling?"

Nihlus let out a weak chuckle, the only thing he could manage in his condition.

"Is that a serious question? Look at me Garrus," He squinted and paused to catch his breath, "I'll be damned lucky if I can even walk after this."

Garrus keened in reply. He felt bad for his friend and wished that he had been there when the attack went down. It could have been him instead of Nihlus. He had much less to lose.

"At least you're not dead." Stated Garrus.

Nihlus moved his head in what was supposed to be an answer no.

"I may have survived, but what kind of life will I live now?"

Garrus once again shifted, not knowing what to say. His old friend was probably right. From the way he looked now, Nihlus would be lucky to walk properly again. Silence filled the room as Garrus could only stare at his friend, anger rising as he thought more and more about the ways Nihlus' life could be possibly ruined.

"Do you remember anything from the attack?" He asked.

Nihlus closed his eyes. Reliving the painful event in his mind, something he did often.

"Yes. I-I remember. " He finally got out with little breath.

Garrus's eyes grew large as he stood and walked to the end of the hospital bed.

"Why haven't you told anyone?! We could have gotten your attacker by now! I could have stopped him personally!"

Nurses looked through the room's door to see what the commotion was about. Garrus took a breath and calmed. Giving them a nod of the head to show everything was all right.

"We both know you shouldn't be so quick to react;Iit will get no one anywhere." Nihlus paused needing to catch his breath. "Besides, I don't remember his face. "

Garrus began to pace at the end of the bed.

"Can you tell me anything? Small details, any accomplices, things that stuck out to you. "

Nihlus let out another sigh, shutting his eyes.

"I know he was turian." A pregnant pause took over. "I remember feeling like I knew him. "

Garrus started running a mental analysis of all the male turians Nihlus knew, singling out the people who may have attempted to kill him. Nihlus'case now became even harder. Garrus desperately tried to think of ways to make it easier. Then he remembered the human woman's DNA; Maybe, if they found her, she could point them in the right direction.

"Was there a human woman around when this happened?" Garrus finally spoke up.

Nihlus's eyes shot open. He began to try and sit up, the machines around him going crazy. Garrus quickly went over to his friend, pressing him into the bed. Nurses and doctors once again flooded the room.

" Nihlus! What is it? " Asked Garrus frantically.

Nihlus continued to thrash against the people around him. He tried the best he could to remove the wires and tubes connected to his body. He growled loudly at the people who stopped him.

"No. No ! Let me go! I need to make sure she's ok! "He yelled.

Nihlus continued to struggle. Garrus helping to restrain his friend, tried to calm him.

"Nihlus, please clam down, we don't need you to end up killing yourself!"

Nihlus didn't listen, he kept thrashing while murmuring the same thing.

"Jane! I need to find Jane!"

As soon as Garrus heard the name, he went numb. Doctors around him prepared sedative for his now psychotic friend beneath his hands. Garrus returned to reality long enough to see his friend knock out a nurse and be heavily sedated all at once. As Nihlus began to calm, settling back into the bed, nurses began to reconnect him to the machines and redress his wounds as his little stunt had made him once again bleed. Garrus let go of his friend and turned to leave.

"Find her Garrus. make sure she's ok. " Nihlus murmured behind him.

Garrus looked back to his friend, doctors working around him. He nodded.

"You can count on it." Poison dripped from his words.

He then turned and walked out the door, heading towards the Silverstrip. He had a certain blonde to visit.


	6. Chapter 6

In a split second, Jane's head had been bounced off the table under her and her body thrown in the corner of the room. Saren quickly redressed her, while officers continuously tried to hack the door from the outside. Finally, once Saren had the room the way he wanted, the door was unlocked and the officers outside let in. Garrus, being one of the first people in the room, ran to Jane's side after seeing her limp body on the floor. Medics were called immediately, taking Jane out of the room. Garrus's eyes quickly landed on Saren, his anger growing.

"What the hell did you do to her?" He growled.

Saren laughed at him, only adding more fire to the situation. Garrus quickly lunged towards him, other officers jumping in his way. Saren continued with his show, only to make Garrus angrier.

"I simply acted in self defense. No need to become so enraged." An evil smirk grew on his face as Saren stared directly into Garrus' eyes.

A deep growl started out of Garrus, wanting to rip Saren's throat out.

"That's all lies and bullshit" He spit out, talons clenched to the inside of his palms.

The view that everyone in the room was witnessing was not a pretty one. Blood was smeared the wall and floor Jane had been thrown against. Tattered parts of her dress lay around the room, worst of all, every turian in the room could smell what had been done.

Pallin quickly dismissed all of the officers in the room. That left Saren, Garrus and himself alone. He then locked the door as soon as the last officer had exited. Garrus and Saren stared at each other, ready to strike. The room suddenly became very small.

"Are you going to tell me went happened here Saren?" He asked.

Saren gave Pallin a look of utter disgust.

"I don't have to tell you anything." He then looked around the room and shrugged. "Besides, the woman attacked me."

Garrus once again started to growl at Saren, Pallin quickly put a hand on him, silencing it.

"We aren't blind Saren." He came to stand directly in front of him. "Obviously you had some part in this."

Saren ignored the man and instead walked to the other side of the room, picking up the chair he had thrown to sit on it. He sat with a sigh, and crossed his arms in front of him, closing his eyes.

"Are you going to continue pocking and prodding? Or shall I skip to the part where you have no say in my business."

Pallin let out an irritated ha.

"Are you really pulling rank right now?"

Garrus tensed, wanting so badly to fight Saren. Saren slowly opened his eyes and he began to laugh.

"I'm a spectre. You really think the council will listen to your words? Ha!"

Garrus stalked across the room and pointed to Saren.

"They'll believe us when we show them the evidence and put emphasis on how you attacked an innocent woman." He spit.

Saren again laughed, even harder than before.

"Haha! Jane? Jane Shepard innocent?" He said the last word with mockery, suggesting that he knew more than he was leading on.

Pallin straightened at the mention of the name.

"Shepard? How in the world can you compare that criminal to Miss Madden?"

Saren brought his elbows to rest on his knees. Once again a smirk planted on his face.

"C-Sec is really slacking now a days huh?" He straightened and continued. "Maybe you should look into it more."

Saren's sly smile sent chills down Pallin's back. Garrus listened intently, as he too recognized the name. He turned to Pallin.

"He's suggesting Jane Madden, is Jane Shepard? You can't possibly believe him?" He asked in disbelief.

Pallin shook is head and covered his face with his large hands.

"Garrus I'm going to need you to go to Huerta and talk to her when she wakes up. " Said Pallin with a sigh.

Garrus' mouth was agape.

"Sir?" Asked Garrus.

Pallin stood his ground.

"I'm not going to ask a recently beaten woman if she's a notorious crime boss. I'll sound like a crazy man!" Garrus yelled.

His superior shook his head.

"I didn't ask Vakarian."

Pallin then turned to face Saren.

"Stay close by. We're not done here." He spoke.

Saren stood and walked out the door, not even looking back. Garrus stood, once again, in awe.

"Your just going to let him walk away?!"

Pallin gave an irritated sigh and turned his back on Garrus to walk out the door.

" He's a spectre Garrus, there's nothing more I can do. He's right when he says it's none of my business."

Garrus ran, standing between Pallin and the door.

"Sir! He physically beat and tried to rape one of our suspects. Why the fuck are you not trying to do anything?!"

Fury bubbled out of Pallin as he poked Garrus in the chest.

"Remember your rank officer! You have your orders, do as you're told!" He yelled/

Garrus stepped towards Pallin, enraged.

"Are you serious? Every turian in this room could smell him, you could see the blood and marks on Jane's body. You have to challenge him somehow!"

Pallin suddenly grabbed Garrus by the cowel.

"Drop it Vakarian. Before I fire your sorry ass." He got out through his teeth.

Pallin let Garrus go, his anger dissipating.

"Now get over to Huetra and question the girl and when your done. Find everything you can on Jane Shepard."

Without waiting for an answer, Pallin exited the room, leaving Garrus a very frustrated turian


	7. Chapter 7

Jane's heart threatened to break through her chest, sweat running down her face. Her breathing, rapid as waves of nausea racked her. She looked behind her and saw nothing but darkness. No. She could hear him! She could hear his evil laugh and the artificial breath that left his robotic lungs. It felt like she was awake, like it was real but something bothered her. Something she couldn't quite remember. This had to be a nightmare, like the ones she had after he- she didn't want to bring it up. Her memories possessed her like a demon, a demon that could not be defeated by a priest or preacher, whatever the religious folk called them. This dark space she was now in chilled her and before she knew it, her legs were moving. She was running again, running to nowhere, nothing but blank space in front of her. Saren. The man had once been alive, caring, loving. The man that had stole her innocence, captured her heart, only to tear it out and stomp in into the cold, frozen ground where she now lay. When had she fallen? She had been running not even two minutes ago right? Her head started to throb and she reached up to touch it only to find blood covering her hands. Panic filled her body as she noticed more pain that ripped through her entire body. Looking over herself, even more tears ran down her face. Gashes cover her arms, torso and back, while her right leg, off to the side, the entire part below the knee in a whole other direction. She tried to sit up to no avail. Leaving her no other option but to scream. Not even a chirp of sound made it out of her throat. Laying there she again heard him. Thrashing through the pain, silent screams again filled the space between her lips. Then, as if sent by the heavens, a voice other than Saren's: a velvety purr.

"What the hell did you do to her?!" The voice yelled.

A single light cut through the darkness, made of the richest blues, just like his eyes. Whose? Garrus?! A guardian angel that Jane was never meant to encounter. Her fear of Saren leading her to her saving grace. Suddenly, Saren's presence no longer lingered, and Jane felt warm. His light was lifting her now, cradling and carrying her somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the darkness. She relaxed, knowing that if she died now, she would be fine with it. In his embrace is where she would want it to end.

…...

Fluttering eyelashes. Blinding, white light. Aches, flooding memories and annoying, loud voices. Jane turned her head with a grunt, her eyes stinging. Three heads were turned the instant she moved and in seconds, two pairs of hands were on her. The doctor and nurse spoke simultaneously, leaving Jane confused and even more irritated. They began to check her vitals.

"Jane? Jane do you know where you are?" The doctor spoke.

She understood but Jane's mind was in a state of fuzziness. Of course she knew she was in a hospital but her head could not create words.

"Who are you?" Her voice came out barely audible and scratchy.

The doctor's face showed some concern but answered.

"I'm Doctor Freola." Replied the man. "I'm afraid we've already had this conversation."

Dr. Freola then want on to scan Jane's head with his omnitool.

"Do you know where you are?" He asked.

Jane wasn't focused on the doctor's words; instead she focused on the too bright lights that made her squint. The doctors' hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

"Um yyy-yes. I'm in Huerta" She finally got out.

The doctor nodded his head and mumbled something to the nurse beside him, leaving her with the nurse and some guy in a suite in the back of the room. The nurse began to fiddle with knobs on the machines that were currently stabilizing Jane, and in an instant more pain flooded through her. The nurse noticed the grimace on Jane's face and smiled trying to give her some comfort.

"We can't have you all doped up forever." She giggled. "It hurts now but you'll thank me later when you can think straight."

The nurse left her side with a wink, leaving just Jane and the man in the room. He made his way slowly over to her.

"Jane, I'd like to introduce myself. The name's Kadian Alenko, and as of right now, I'm your gateway to justice." He smiled wide after his brief speech, showing off white teeth that matched the hospital room around her. She looked him up and down before answering.

"And why do I need an attorney? It's pretty clear what happened, aren't my wounds evidence enough?" Her voice became stronger and stronger as she spoke.

Kaidan giggled a little at her response, giving her that 'Yeah I know I'm hot' grin.

"Actually, no-one really knows what happened, Miss Madden. That's why I'm here. To listen to your story and put the missing puzzle pieces together." He stated.

Jane became more and more irritated as this Mr. Alenko spoke. He could tell from Jane's face that it was time to let things be for awhile. He quickly cut through the awkward silence by clearing his throat and gently setting a card with his info on it near a vase of flowers on her bedside table.

"When you're ready to talk give me a call. I want to be the first person you talk to so we can get this all cleared away alright?" Again, he gave her the pretty boy grin and then left. Finally, she was alone.

She was finally able to give herself a chance to look over herself. Nothing she say surprised her. White gauze covered deep gashes everywhere she looked. Her right leg was in a sling held high above her head, and as she reached to feel where her head was throbbing she was met by more gauze and a huge goose egg in the middle of her forehead. She then looked towards the machine beside her and reached over turning the morphine up higher, feeling her pain subside. It felt good as she closed her eyes preparing for sleep. Rustling in the doorway made her eyes fly open.

"I don't think you're qualified to do that, Miss." His voice instantly registered in her brain and a wide smile broke out on her face. Next thing she knew his blue eyes were looking into hers.


	8. Chapter 8

Garrus always hated hospitals. Hell last time he came to one, something bad had happened. He worst memories included his mother, something he had to shake from his mind often. He always associated it with something bad ever sense and now he was dragged back into one, to talk to a woman he didn't want to see. Garrus couldn't shake the things Saren had told he and Pallin from his mind. Jane had acted strange but he had passed it off, accepting it as one of her many quirky characteristics. Now that he connected all the strange occurrences in his mind, she seemed less and less innocent. He pushed it from his mind as he walked out of the elevator and entered the hospitals lobby. Why was he here following Pallin's orders? What he should be doing is trying to find looking for something that could help himself bring Saren down. An annoyed growl escaped Garrus' throat. There was a line he'd have to wait in to talk to one of the secretaries, making his irritation grow. There were two people ahead of him, so maybe he could pass some time on his omnitool. Opening it, he quickly glanced over his LifeConsultant account, something Jane had talked him into signing up for. He smirked a bit at his profile picture. She had taken it before he was ready leaving a look of shock on his face and there it was a permanent monument right, smack middle of his profile since he had no idea how to change it. He then began to scroll through the feed, reading the posts of some friends from work. Most of them were complaints about stress and whatnot. Garrus' mind then came back to Jane again, she never seemed to complain about anything. He could see the ware and tare on her face but he never heard a peep about it. She always asked him about himself or how his day had gone. Whenever he tried the same she would just shrug it off and change the subject. More time had gone by then Garrus had noticed as in the middle of a thought an asari secretary cleared her throat.

"Excuse me sir can I help you?" Her voice was steady and professional but he could hear the hint of annoyance in her words.

Garrus put on his C-Sec persona and showed her his badge.

"Ah yes, Officer Garrus Vakarian. I'm her to question a patient in your care, Jane Madden?" He quickly dropped his fake smile as the women looked down to type into her computer. A few moments later she lifted her head.

"Ah yes." She smiled. "Miss Madden is on level 6, room 221 and please tread quietly once you get up there, that is our intensive care unit and they need their sleep." She sent a key-card to his omnitool and Garrus gave her a nod as he made his way towards the elevator.

…...

The ride up the elevator brought Garrus' mind back to Nihlus. Maybe he should go visit him after talking to Jane. He hadn't been to see him in days and talking to his good friend might give him some of the TLC he needed. A ding brought him from his thought as he reached the sixth floor. As he stepped out the smell of disinfectant stung his nostrils. Doctors and nurses squeaked their was past him not acknowledging his. Garrus rolled his shoulders and began making his way down halls and around corners until he finally reached room 221. He stood in the doorway for a short time as he was again shocked by the sight he saw. Just as it had been with Nihlus, Jane looked like the earth children dressed for Halloween, wrapped in gauze from head to toe. He was surprised by her unusual lack of attention, he wasn't going out of his way to stay hidden from her, she just hadn't noticed him. Garrus blamed the meds in her system. Just as he was about to make his way over to her she sat up and turned a dial on one of the many machines around her. Garrus laughed silently, that was more like her.

"I don't think you're qualified to do that Miss" He spoke softly.

He closed the gap between them with a few strides of his long legs. Her face was overtaken by a huge smile as his eyes met hers. Garrus broke the gaze as he looked up to her medical stats scrolling her head. Jane was in worse shape then she looked. Low blood pressure due to blood loss, multiple infections throughout her body, not to mention that her right leg had been broke in four places. Garrus couldn't help but notice her eyes watching underneath him and again met her gaze. Although now he had anger in his eyes. Saren. That bastard needed to pay. The women he was now looking at deserved that much, innocent or not. He could tell Jane had noticed the anger as she struggled to sit up, he stepped back and aided her. She smiled at him, giving him a silent thanks but then broke the silence with actual words.

"Garrus. What are you doing here?" Her voice was low but strong, showing some confusion.

Garrus laughed in reply.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question? One minute I'm bringing you in for some simple questioning, the next you've gotten yourself battered up and in the hospital."

Jane deflated a bit from his words, obviously there was more to what had happened. Something, the both of them knew. He needed her to confirm his suspicions. After minutes of silence Garrus spoke up.

"What happened Jane?" His voice was demanding and stern, showing her needed answers now.

Jane's face showed hints of fear but mostly anger. Garrus mentally kicked himself for being so blunt.

"I'm sorry for being so harsh Jane but I need answers. I think I know what happened. I want to help you, I just need you to confirm my suspicions."

Jane again looked Garrus in the eyes and swallowed slowly.

"If I told you what really happened...I'd end up in the morgue." She spoke slowly.

Garrus crouched down his face coming inches from hers.

"Don't be afraid. C-Sec can offer you protection." He set a hand on her arm. " Just tell me what happened."

Jane turned her head away from him and gave a short, hurtful laugh.

" I'm not afraid of death Garrus." She turned her head towards him, pain again shifting to anger. "C-Sec couldn't stop him. I'm better off on my own."

Garrus looked for any signs of lying on her face. Not a single thing could tell him that what she said was a lie.

"And HIM, is who? Saren?" He asked.

Jane didn't answer. Her eyes gave him all the answers he needed. Anger filled every inch of his body as he stood and began to pace around the room.

"I knew it! I knew that fucking prick did this to you! And Pallin just let him walk out the front door!" He yelled, making fists at his sides. Garrus and his shouting began to draw an audience. Doctors and nurses began to peak through the doorway into the room, Jane tried to sit up more, grimacing.

"Garrus please calm down" Her voice was steady and offered a sense of sanity to the enraged turian.

He turned towards her again shouting.

"Calm down?! You want me to calm down?!" He leaned against the end of her bed. "How the hell do you not want justice for this Jane?"

Jane closed her eyes, swallowing down words that would do more harm then good in this moment.

"We both know what he did." She said calmly. "But there is NOTHING you can do about it." Her words became more stern. "Believe me when I say this."

Garrus stopped pacing and stared at Jane. Anger was replaced with pity as he made his way over to her.

"He has done this to you before?" He again sat and hung his head. "Spirits Jane. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

She gave Garrus a reassuring smile bringing up her hand to rest on his fringe.

"I'm a big girl." Garrus brought his head up to look at her, she gave him a smile. "I can take care of myself."

Garrus brought up his hand and gently traced a line from her eye to her chin with the back of one talon. He couldn't help but notice when Jane's breath hitched.

"We will talk later Jane." He stood and shook his head. "Get some rest, you're looking pretty rough."

He then left the room pushing through the many doctors and nurses that had been waiting outside the door. All he could think about was Jane's last words and her smile. That smile could push him to do anything.

…...

The next day, Garrus was back at C-Sec. He had been staring at his terminal for hours looking for information on Jane Shepard, with little success. Most of what he found was things everyone already knew. Garrus again opened her file.

_Name: Shepard, Jane._

_Sex:Female_

_DOB: 4/11/2154_

_Branch/Rank: Alliance Marines/ Commander_

_Career Status: Terminated_

Letting out a sigh, Garrus again scanned through all the files C-Sec had on her. Nothing, absolutely nothing stood out. Saren must had been lying, as he expected. He then turned to his omnitool and typed her name into a popular video search engine. Hundreds of news reports littered the page. Garrus choose the first one to watch.

"_Welcome and thanks for choosing Premiere Video Network. Today we focus on Commander Jane Shepard, one we once thought a hero, now a thorn in the Universe's side. A few days ago, after emerging as the only survivor of a batarian assault on Elysium, many started questioning the great Commander's role. Why had she been the only survivor? Had she done anything to help the rest of the soldiers on the planet? Should betrayal be put into mind? As of tomorrow night, Shepard is to appear in citedal court to-"_

Garrus quickly closed the video and slumped into his chair. Jane had been a hero in many people's eyes, it was people like the journalists in that video that had tainted her career. Garrus knew the rest of what had happened after that. Shepard had been accused of treason and sent to an Alliance prison for life or so most thought. Ever since then, every good deed, every picture, any information on her had been erased from the extranet. This leading to make her a very hard person to research. Suddenly, Garrus jumped up in his chair and made his way to Pallin's office. Without knocking, he barged through the door.

"Sir, I need access to your classified files." He demanded.

Pallin looked up from some from paperwork.

"What?" He said,a bit irritated.

Garrus began to pace the room, wringing his hands together.

"Sir, I've been thinking. I've searched every possible record C-Sec has on Jane Shepard, every record I have access to that is." He stopped pacing to look at his boss. "I need to see the most classified files to be able to patch something together. You have the utmost access Sir."

Pallin reached into his desk and pulled out a flash-drive.

"You're lucky I know your father well Vakarian." He then stood and handed Garrus the object. "Look at this when your alone and I don't want to see this information in the tabloids tomorrow."

Garrus turned to leave when Pallin stopped him.

"You owe me kid. Remember that." He said.

Garrus again nodded and left.

…...

That night, after Garrus' shift had ended and he had returned to his apartment, the flash-drive became a paperweight in his pocket. He quickly shut himself in his bedroom and went to his desk, turning on his terminal. Being the tech savvy turian her was, his terminal was nearly unhackable. Series of firewalls and code, protected every piece on info he stored. Now it would allow him to view the precious info Pallin had gave him without worry. Taking the flash-drive from his pocket, Garrus shoved it into the USB port of his terminal. Before his eyes flashed 'Welcome Spectre Arterius' and a single folder appeared, labeled ' '. Garrus' plates began to itch. Of course Saren had given Pallin this info. Opening the lonely folder, Garrus' jaw dropped in awe with the amount of information before him. Videos, images, mission reports, Jane Shepards whole life lay in his fingers. The first file filled in most of the empty spaces of Garrus' research but he continued on. Throughout the night he opened folder after folder, each one more convincing than the other. By the time the Citadel's artificial light had switched to day, Garrus had came to the last file. It was encrypted but nothing he couldn't handle. After decoding it with ease, his eye's were met by Jane Shepards. The same eyes that resided within Jane Madden's skull. Her face was the same, as well as her eyes. The only thing different was the hair. Jane Shepard's was a natural, bright red as Madden's was blonde. Scrolling further down, Garrus was met by even more shocking evidence. Jane had been the first human spectre at only 19. She had enrolled in the military at only 16 under a false identity, allowing her to show off her talents and advance quickly through the ranks. By the time she had come of legal age, she was already a Commander. A year later she had been given her spectre status and in that same year, stripped of it and thrown in jail. Coming to the end of the file, Garrus was again overtaken by surprise. A single message lay at the end.

_Source: Warden B. Smith/ High Security Alliance Prison_

_Date: 8/14/2174_

_To: Admiral Hackett_

_ .MESSAGE._

_Today at exactly 16:00 hours, the prison staff did there rounds as usual. Every inmate was awoken and fed, as well as some of the lower priority inmates allowed some recreation time. By 11 O'clock, station time, I had made my way to the High Priority wing myself, to check up on some of our more delicate guests. When I arrived, I was greeted by shouting from the other inmates and no response from the guards that watched the wing. As I went through the usual security measures and finally came to be on the other side of our scanners, I was met by a most unfortunate sight. All of the guards that stood post on that wing had been killed, along with the mechs they were partnered with. I had gotten the other inmates quiet when I realized our most important guest to be missing. Her cell door had been laser cut away, allowing her to simply walk out. Inside the cell, lay a naked dead guard, her clothes obviously taken for a disguise. After closer examination by myself and some of the forensic team, we came to find that there was an accomplice. We have not been able to figure out an identity for such accomplice so far but we continue to work. I composed this message as soon as I confirmed she had made it off the station. I stand ready for the consequences and eagerly wait for your words on this matter._

_Warden Smith._

Garrus sat back in his desk chair, mandibles slump against his face. He couldn't believe it. If he had this information earlier he would have brought her in at first sight. The information he just saw throughout the night was enough to change his mind about the one who he thought a hero. She was a criminal, like the rest. He didn't care how impressive her profile seemed, she was bad. A renegade through and through. He had to tell Nihlus, he would have the authority to bring her down but then there was Saren. His threat lingered in Garrus' mind, along with Jane's. He just had to make a decision on who to bring down first.


	9. Chapter 9

Weeks had passed since Garrus last visited Jane. She had not been surprised by his reaction to her dismissing his suspicions about what Saren had done, she expected him to put on a show.

Jane had made quick progress in healing throughout the weeks in Huerta. Most of the gashes that covered her were almost completely healed and after a few surgeries her leg had been put back together with only a few metal rods and plates. Jane often thought about leaving the hospital, she just simply had to call up some of her goons, create a distraction and leave but the company of the other patients was too comforting for her to leave. Since she was pretty much healed the hospital staff allowed her into a sort of lounge area where all the patients could socialize or do other things other than sit in their medical beds all day. Although she chose to stay to herself and read a book on her omnitool most of the time.

Kadian, her attorney visited her often, bringing her a warm drink and keeping her up to date on her case. So far they pretty much had nothing. The only people who suspected Saren of a crime, were Garrus, Pallin, Herself and those who had seen the interrogation room but it was all very hush, hush. It would cause too much controversy if word of what the Spectre had done got out. Whenever Kadian came around, Jane had to act stupid, pretending she couldn't remember much of what had happened , although every detail of the event played through her head often. Sometimes she would lose herself in those thoughts and would sit frozen for hours on end. Then Garrus would pop up. It scared her at times how much she cared for him, how much she had grown to want him. She knew he would never go for her for the simple fact that she was human, Garrus was a very traditional turian. There was also the fact that he knew she had lain with Nihlus, she was sensing a strong friendship between the two.

Jane let go a large puff of air as she continued to try and read the same sentence in her book for the fifth time. Her thoughts controlled her too much, got her into trouble and downright ruined her mood most of the time. She looked up viewing the people around her, all the same faces, all doing the same thing. There wasn't very much variation among the people in this hospital. Turning back to her book she actually managed to read two whole pages before a squeaking wheelchair caught her attention. Who sat seated in that wheel chair made her want to throw up. So he wasn't dead, but damn he looked like he should be. Tubes and wires came out of his body from all angles as well as temporary metal rods holding him together. Nihlus.

Jane quickly turned the back-light on her omnitool up, using it to cover her face. She couldn't get up and leave as she needed aid and had told her nurse to leave her be for an hour. It had only been twenty minutes into that hour and as Nihlus was wheeled next to her, her heart jumped to her throat. All she could hope for that he didn't recognize her. Maybe he wouldn't with the bruising on her face, but who was she kidding. A great Spectre like Nihlus was trained to look right passed that.

As his chair's wheels were locked and the nurse walked away, Nihlus turned his attention to the vid-screen on the opposite wall. Jane observed him from the corner of her eye. His breathing was shallow and hurtful, he was obviously still in a lot of pain. Flashbacks from the night he was attacked flooded her mind and without noticing she had turned her head fully and was staring at him.

"I've heard that taking a picture lasts longer human." He ground out.

Jane jumped back into reality as he spoke. He sounded perfectly fine but her eyes proved her lying ears wrong. She quickly looked back to her omnitool as he too continued looking to the videos playing in front of him. She had not noticed before but more metal rods stuck out of his shoulders, preventing him from turning his head. All he could do was look forward. Jane instantly relaxed until he spoke again.

"Do you have any idea where the remote for the vid-screen is? I can't take watching this reality TV any longer."

Jane shifted in her chair and nodded her head dramatically hoping that maybe he would see. Thankfully another patient a crossed the room had heard his question and walked the remote over to him.

"Don't mind Jane She's not much of a talker." He joked.

With a wink towards Jane, the man walked back to his seat on the other side of the room. The mentioning of her name made Jane once again tense up but if Nihlus did remember her he wasn't making it very clear. He had his full attention on the vid-screen watching some show about a British detective, parading around London solving crimes. They both sat in silence until the nurse finally came to bring Jane back to her room. The nurse began helping her out of the chair she was sitting in and into a wheelchair positioned in front of Nihlus. Right as the nurse prepared to wheel her away she and Nihlus made eye contact. At that moment she knew he recognized her. His eyes lit up, and shock took hold of his face. Before he could get any words out the nurse had begun to wheel her down the hall.

…...

Jane avoided the lounge for a few days after. She did not wish to run into Nihlus again and she had gotten news that she would be let out of the hospital in a week if she continued to heal at the same rate. This news left her relieved but at the same time scared. What would Saren do to her once she was out of the hospitals watch? As days passed, all she could do was plan a life away from Saren, again. She planned to move off the Citadel and back to Earth, she would work from her headquarters there. She longed to live back in the glamorous life with designer clothes and her five million dollar apartment. All these things she had waiting for her back on earth. Vega, her right hand man, would be left in charge of the Citadel branch. She just had to hope Saren wouldn't follow her and that her case would just fall flat. Jane needed to slip back into her daily rounds of consulting, doing and getting paid, she even longed to join her men on one of the jobs, something she hadn't done in years. Yes, that's all she needed. Time back on earth.

…...

Days continued and finally the Monday of her last week in Huerta she decided to go to the lounge. She could now make her way around with crutches so if at anytime she seen Nihlus, she would just simply leave. Making her way around the corner she instantly spotted him and he her. Instead of her original plan of running, she decided to continue, swallowing her nerves. Maybe he wouldn't want to talk and they could happily ignore each others presence. Nihlus had different plans. He waved her over cheerfully at which she hesitantly followed. Getting closer to him Jane noticed that he certainly looked ten times better than last week, even some metal rods had been removed. Green eyes met blue as Jane moved a chair to sit in front of him, she sighed and shook her head.

"It's bizarre to see you here." She said with a sarcastic smile.

He laughed a bit in response.

"I should say the same. Last time I saw you I-" He paused immediately.

Jane could tell from the look on his face that he had trouble remembering the night.

"Well it's actually quite fuzzy." He smiled sadly. "But judging on my current state, I guess it was pretty bad."

Jane smile turned into a frown.

"I wish I could clear some things up for you Nihlus but I had a bit too much to drink that night. I don't really recall anything either."

Nihlus's face fell a bit more., he saw right through her lie. The two then continued into quite a bit of small talk. Jane excused herself after an hour and made her way back to room 221. Shortly after arriving back her omnitool pinged.

_Jane, I know you remember everything exactly, as do I. I also know that the next few days will be your last her in Huerta, but I need you to do something for me. Disappear. Do not check out, find another way out. Saren will be waiting for you as soon as you set foot outside this place. You'll need a bigger plan then you've already made. I've sent you the directions to a safe haven. A place I go time to time to sleep. Come find me if you have any questions, if worst comes to worst, I'll break you out myself. It's your choice what to do from there but I suggest you get away from the Citadel. There's a storm coming Jane and I can't bear to see you be caught in it._

_Yours- N.K_


	10. Chapter 10

Each day that passed meant less time Jane had to escape. Her original plan of checking out and moving back to Earth like a somewhat normal person, was now out of the picture. She had known that Saren would be looking for her but she didn't think he'd take the chance coming after her in public. The message from Nihlus had shaken her up and her dreams in the past few nights had been nothing but all too realistic nightmares. How? How was she supposed to sneak her way out of this place? Even a blind man would notice some chick with a broken leg hobbling about the hospital, checking doors. Jane was a clever woman, how else would she have kept a low profile for so long? But now she couldn't even come up with a simple plan to escape a low security hospital.

"Dammit!" Jane accidentally thought out loud.

She sat up in her medical bed, swinging her legs over the side. She had to talk with Nihlus again, it was his plan anyway. Grabbing her crutches from the wall she made her way out into the hallway and towards the lounge, not even acknowledging that she was still in her pjs, bra-less. When she finally reached her planned destination, low and behold Nihlus wasn't there. Letting out a long sigh she made a quick, hobbley dash to the elevator. On the ride down to the second floor, she smirked at the fact that no hospital personal had seen her, that was the good thing about the sixth floor. The nurses were always occupied.

A ding let her know she had successfully made it to the second floor. Finding Nihlus would be easy as there were only ten rooms, reserved for only the 'important' people. Why the hell wasn't she on this floor? Walking down the short hallways none of the doors to the rooms were open, so she was forced to read the names on each. Only half of the rooms were being used. Two by movie stars that had probably gotten more plastic surgery and the others by older rich folk who were probably on their death beds. Finally at the end of the hall, was the room labeled Kryik. She looked through the small window on the door, he was alone. Good. She tried opening the door and it resisted back. Locked. Again Jane thought a series of curse words, she would have to go back to the front desk and wire a key to her omnitool. Way to much work for it only being 8 in the morning. Turning her body to head towards the desk she heard the door next to her click. It began to open and there was Garrus, staring back at her.

"Jane?" Garrus's voice showed a hint of shock.

Clearing her throat, Jane answered him.

"Hello Garrus." She put on one of her signature smiles. "I was hoping I could talk to Nihlus."

Giving her a small glare, he then stepped aside and let her in.

"He's still asleep. You'll have to wait in until he wakes up."

Jane sensed a bit of hate in his words but then decided to focus on the room instead. It didn't even look like a hospital room but a small apartment. There was a kitchen and a TV area. She became a little jealous herself, she was used to this kind of treatment. Using her crutches to bring herself to the couch that sat in front of a nicely sized TV, she sat and began to wonder. Why had Nihlus come to the lounge when everything he needed was here? He must have really wanted to see her.

Garrus came over and awkwardly stood next to her.

"You know he talks about you a lot." He stated.

Jane's head snapped to look at him. Shame filling her face.

"Oh. Does he?"

Garrus said nothing and just stared at her.

"He also told me what happened Jane, how he got hurt so badly."

Jane's heart skipped a beat. Garrus knew.

"So why haven't you done anything then?" She asked coldly.

Garrus began to lowly laugh.

"Why didn't you do anything." He then spat.

Jane crinkled her brow with confusion. What had triggered this change in Garrus?

"What could I have done." She looked to him with an innocent look in her eyes. "I thought I was going to end up dead myself."

Garrus let go an angry growl, his mandibles falling flat.

"Cut the shit Jane." He quickly turned his back to her. "Or should I call you Shepard?"

Jane looked at her turian friend. The eyes that always brought her relief, always made her feel safe, now were filled with hatred . Many of the people who eventually found out her true identity, shared the same feelings. Friends of Jane Madden or Kaitlyn or whatever name she choose for herself at the time, eventually turned into the people that hated her most. Using her true identity was reserved for only those who knew her best or for those she had personally hired. Through the quick and efficient work of Saren, the name Shepard had been devalued, made to seem like a curse word. The hero she had once been was overshadowed by the ruthless, killer she was made out to be. These memories and more were ones Jane never liked reliving. She could only imagine what Garrus had dug up about her, most of it twisted and untrue.

Jane's eyes were on Garrus for a few seconds as she became lost in thought. The hulking turian had managed to turn around and stand only a few inches away before she had noticed. He had leaned down to her level by the time she let herself come back to reality.

"Jane?" Garrus spoke.

Heat flooded her face, making it turn red.

"Who told you?" Jane finally got out.

He looked right into her eyes.

"It doesn't matter who told me."

Jane tensed and stood.

"It does fucking matter Garrus." She moved around him and stood in the middle of the room.

It was Garrus' turn to stand, as he looked to Jane and crossed his arms.

"You belong in a cold, dark cell." He once again glared at her, dropping his arms. "I don't care about what you want."

Jane's face filled with anger.

"What the hell do you know Vakarian!" She marched towards him. "You've only seen what he wanted you to see. Don't you fucking dare talk to me like you know my life story."

Garrus' mandibles fluttered against his face.

"I know enough to put you behind bars again. This time I'll make sure they through away the key."

Jane turned away from him and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Dammit Garrus, you don't know anything."

Nihlus stirred in his bed, using the controls alongside him to prop himself up.

"Garrus leave the poor girl alone. I've been listening to you interrogate her for the past forty minutes."

Garrus made his way over to his friend while Jane stood where she was. She could feel Nihlus' gaze on her. The two turian men mumbled a conversation on the other side of the room, she couldn't make out what they were saying. After a few minutes Garrus announced he was going to get breakfast as if their little spat had never happened. An awkward silence filled the gap between Jane and Nihlus. They both sat there, he in his bed and her standing, both gazing at each other. Finally Jane decided to break the silence.

"Sorry our little disagreement woke you." She said calmly.

Nihlus nodded her towards him.

"You don't have to stay on the other side of the room."

Jane had forgotten the distance between them and started a hobble towards his bed. She then took a new position, sitting next to him. Nihlus grunted with pleasure at her closeness.

"This is much better." He smiled.

They gazed once again at each other and Nihlus began to stroke her arm with his big hand.

"So what brought you to my room?" He asked.

Jane sat silent for a moment trying to gather her words, his touch had thrown off all rational thoughts in her head. Finally, she gained control of herself and spoke.

"Your note did not explain much. How do you expect me to get out of here?"

Nihlus looked back at her in confusion.

"I did not send you any note. I haven't had my hands on any message sending devices since the accident."

Fear overtook Jane's body. Who had sent her the message then? It must have been him, part of his plan to help her. Who else? Nihlus noticed her blank stare into space.

"Jane? Tell me about this note. What did it say?"

She looked back to him and stood from his bed, starting towards the door, all but forgetting about her crutches. She turned quickly to give Nihlus a short apology and excuse of why she suddenly had to leave. Turning back around she reached down for the handle and BAM! She was hit straight on by the door itself. She staggered backwards holding her head, blood running down her face as a old wound had been reopened. On the other side of the door was Garrus, who had been in a hurry to enter the room.

"Spirits, Jane!" He yelled.

He dropped his bags of food on the floor and squatted down to inspect her face. She wiped the blood on her shirt and tried standing. Garrus began to fuss over her.

"It's alright- Garrus.. Garrus please don't-Gar- GARRUS!"

He stopped what he was doing as she yelled. Jane composed herself and tried stepping around him only to be caught by his large hands.

"You can't leave."

She gave him a look of annoyance. Irritation apparent as she spoke.

"And why's that?"

Garrus moved his hand from her wrist to her shoulders making her face him straight on. His face hinted at something more than what he had said.

"You're leaving with me. You're in no shape to make your way back to your room alone."

Jane could tell he was speaking in code but not to her. In the corner of her eye she could see Nihlus, wide eyed. From there Garrus brought over the food to Nihlus, grabbed Jane's crutches and they both made there way out of the room. Walking down the halls Garrus nodded to every doctor and nurse making it seem like he was just helping Jane, a supposed lost patient. Once they were in the elevator, Garrus chose the main lobby floor instead of level six where she thought he would be taking her. He looked back to her and rolled his eyes as he noticed her choice of bloodstained attire and messy hair.

"You know you're not making this any easier for me. You could've at least wore actual pants."

Jane again stared at him in confusion. Why did he care about her all of a sudden?

"What the hell is going on?" She asked irritated.

Before Garrus could answer, they had reached the ground floor. He took Jane by the arm and helped her through the endless crowds inside the hospital lobby. People there always waited for a chance to see celebrities emerge from the elevator doors. No one seemed to notice Jane and Garrus as they moved in and out between them and before she knew it, Garrus was shoving her inside his skycar.

"What the fuck!" She yelled, fighting him.

Garrus was finally able to get her inside and lock her door. Throwing on sunglasses and lurching the car forward, he looked to Jane. Who sat frozen next to him. He smirked.

"You're lucky there's bigger threats than you out there." He took a sharp right, throwing Jane hard against the passenger door. He looked to her again. "As soon as this mission is done, I swear I'll arrest yo myself. You hear me Shepard?"

Jane looked to him and sighed. This was going to be a long ride.


	11. Chapter 11

If looks could kill, Garrus would be dead by now. After dragging her out of the hospital and throwing her into his skycar all he could do is make one smart remark; "You're lucky there's bigger threats than you out there.". He had also threatened her making her want to laugh. The guy was firm in his beliefs, that much was evident. As he drove Jane tried countless times to get him to hint at where to he was taking her. All he would do is give her the same Turian smirk and say " You'll see". He made a few phone calls on his way to wherever he was going, leaving Jane even more out of the loop. She hated not being in control.

"Garrus you better tell me where you're taking me before I end up hijacking your skycar and kicking your ass out the door." She threatened often.

Garrus would laugh, glance at her from the corner of his eye and then threaten her with his pistol.

"I can't take you seriously in that getup." He would then say in return.

Again Jane would look down at her messy pj's and sigh loudly. For most of the ride she had turned her head to look out the window. Obviously this was something bigger than she first imagined.

…...

The artificial light had turned to dark by the time Garrus had reached his destination. After telling Jane nothing about Nihlus and his plan, she had turned to her window and stayed silent. Now she was leaning against her it asleep. He couldn't help but notice how fragile she look in her sleep, the hard mask of Jane Shepard gone. Her words back at the hospital, haunted him. When he had confronted her, she had seemed hurt by his words. Wouldn't someone as ruthless as her be proud of her dark past? The information he did see was from Saren. Maybe there was more to Shepard's story.

Coming back to reality, he pulled up to the dry docks and parked the car. There sat the SSV Normandy and outside it stood Nihlus no longer wearing his hospital garb. Good. Everything was going as planned. Garrus got out of the car and waved to Nihlus before moving to the passenger side to grab Jane. He carried her, rather than waking her up and making her walk. The cast on her leg was bulky and made it awkward for him to hold her. He quickly adjusted himself with only a slight grumble in reply from Jane. Garrus walked his normal, steady gait towards Nihlus who met him with a nod of the head.

"I'm glad to see you two made it out alive." His hand came to rest on Jane's jawline."Any opposition with her?" He asked.

Garrus's own gaze came to set on Jane's face and a smirk appeared on his face.

"Is that a serious question? It's Jane. Of course she had to argue about it." He noticed Nihlus' eyes on him and he quickly looked away from her.

"Have you told her anything yet?" Asked Nihlus.

"No. It's your plan. I thought you'd want to be around when I told her."

In reply Nihlus gave Garrus a quick pat on the shoulder.

"I greatly appreciate this Garrus. Hopefully she's able to help with our mission."

In that minute an engineer from the Normandy's crew came to interrupt their conversation, informing them it was almost time for takeoff. Garrus and his long time friend, made their way towards the Normandy's airlock. Nihlus again touched Jane.

"You can put her down in my cabin." He said.

Garrus gave a nod in reply and walked through the airlock. Inside it was all hustle and bustle. Humans and aliens alike, working together all making sure the plans Nihlus and Garrus had made would be successful. As Garrus walked through the CIC all of those who noticed him gave him a sharp salute. Even though this was Nihlus' ship, he had made Garrus second officer. It felt good to be in control. Finally after again coming out of his fantasized world, Garrus had noticed the elevator had opened. He stepped inside and the mood drastically changed as Garrus realized he and Jane were alone. Her Henley top had moved exposing her naked breast. Garrus couldn't help but stare at her smooth milky skin and erect nipple. He drew himself enough courage to do the right thing and pull her shirt back over her exposed skin, killing the little show he had had. What was he doing? He was supposed to hate her. A criminal like herself didn't deserve his friendship. Garrus couldn't help but again think about her words, what had she meant when she said he didn't know anything?

Once again he had not realized that the elevator doors had opened. He stepped out, Jane still in his arms, onto the Captains Deck. Tapping in the code to the door leading into Nihlus' cabin, he stood in awe when the door finally opened. He had yet to see this part of the this amazing ship. Nihlus would be living the next few months in luxury. Garrus continued into the cabin, down the stairs and to the large bed that sat in the middle of the lower portion of the room. He set Jane down upon it and moved back a piece of her blonde hair that had fallen in her face. Although he had never been with a human, the way his friend described his occurrences made him want to. He shook himself out of his thoughts and left Jane to sleep. He headed towards the elevator, needing a release, good thing he had some excellent porn on his terminal in the Main Battery.

…...

Jane awoke to the smell of bacon. Something she hadn't had since Saren beat the shit out of Nihlus. Her eyes fluttered and her brain began to realize she wasn't in Garrus' skycar anymore. She sat up in a panic and looked around, realizing she was in some kind of bedroom, probably of someone important judging on the condition of the place. She gently placed her feet on the cold metal floor and stood. A large fish tank that took up almost the entire wall, left her face tinted blue. She then pinpointed the source of the bacon smell and in fact it was bacon. A tray sat upon a coffee table, on top of it a large plate piled with eggs, french toast, various berries, next to it a large glass of orange juice. Jane looked around the room once again and finally caught a glimpse of Nihlus, who was sitting at a terminal in the upper part of the room. He glanced up after noticing her stare and laughed.

"I thought you would be hungry. Garrus dragged you out of Huerta before any of us could eat."

Jane instantly relaxed as she realized all this had something to do with Nihlus and Garrus. Two turians she could trust, well one of them at least. She wondered if Garrus had told Nihlus about what he had found about her. She looked at Nihlus closely, who now almost looked back to himself, minus the still healing cracked cowl. He didn't show any hints of hesitation or anger towards her, maybe Garrus hadn't ran his mouth. She silently thanked all the gods she could think of and then realized her own state. Her bloodstained pj's and tangled hair made her face turned bright red.

"You- uh wouldn't happen to have other clothes for me anywhere, would you?" She crossed her arms to shield herself from the cold air. " Maybe even a shower I could use?"

Nihlus' eyes went wide.

"Oh! Yes. I had forgotten that you might want to change. The closet next to the bed has everything you'll need and the bathroom is right behind me." He motioned with his hands.

Jane went to the closet. Opening it she noticed her clothes weren't the only thing in it. Nihlus also had various attire in it. She turned to face him again.

"I take it we'll be sharing this room then?." Her voice showing surprise.

Nihlus made his way closer to her, laying his large hand on her cheek.

"I didn't think you'd mind." He spoke.

The lust in his eyes was more than evident and Jane began to feel her own hunger for him rise.

"I think sharing a room will be great." She said as she let her face melt into his hand.

Nihlus quickly brought his mouth to hers and they both shared a sloppy kiss. Just as Nihlus broke away Jane urged for more, pulling his mouth to hers. She began to tease him but once again realized her grotesque state.

"I should probably shower now." She laughed.

Grabbing her clothes she walked towards the bathroom, she already had him eating out of her fingers.

…...

Weeks had passed since Jane first arrived on the Normandy. Everyone aboard always greeted her with smiles or gentle eyes, they even went out of their way to talk to her. For the first time in a long while she was given respect without demanding it. Then there was Garrus. He was the only one aboard who refused to talk to her. Most of the time she would visit him just to get a reaction out of him. He would often put on his tough guy persona and pretend not to care but she knew he always listened without missing a beat. Jane would often go off sputtering nonsense about her life as Shepard and Garrus would eat it up. Teasing him was the best, it took so little to get under his plates. Garrus' impatience and quick rationing would come back to bite him in the end but for now, Jane just enjoyed seeing the irritation she caused him. One of the best things about Garrus was that he knew how to keep his mouth shut. He was the only one aboard the Normandy who knew her true identity and so far he hadn't spoke a word about it since their escape from Huerta. As long as he didn't tell Nihlus, she didn't care who he told. Those people would be expendable.

Thinking of Nihlus made her think of all he had done so much for her. That's what this whole thing was about. Nihlus had made quick and drastic plans to track down Saren and stop him and since Jane had a past with him they decided to drag her along. Or at least that's what Garrus had said. Nihlus probably had other plans for Jane, and not that she minded those plans either. She would rather enjoy having hot sex everyday once she was completely healed.

…...

One of the crew members had been talking to her but she didn't notice them. She continued her dirty thoughts and finally just excused herself from the woman's presence. Right now she was in a state of complete boredom. Nihlus was too busy preparing an assault on one of Saren's supply bases and Garrus had said something about trying out his new sniper rifle, maybe she should go bother him some more. Jane couldn't remember the last time she felt so empty and worthless. Moments like this made her wish she had her men to help her to take over the ship. The power she could gain with a ship like the Normandy would be on overwhelming for some but Jane could more than handle it. Her business back on the Citadel was booming right now with the news of what happened to Nihlus getting more and more into depth. She could only imagine the daggers Saren wanted to throw into her back now. A smirk played onto her face as she thought of the things Nihlus would do to Saren when they finally caught up to him. She hoped he killed the motherfucker. Jane stood and finally decided she would go to the shuttle bay and bother the new quarian engineer they had just gotten, then maybe she would show Garrus how to really shoot a rifle.


	12. Chapter 12

The whole ship seemed to be encased in a hum down in the shuttle bay. It was dark, leaving the mind to make up monsters that danced in the shadows. Jane was one of those monsters. She loved the dark, it kept her hidden in her gang days and let her observe in her boss days. Jane had intended on coming down here to talk to the newly recruited quarian engineer, named Tali but now she was lost in the darkness of the place. It filled her to the core and again her apostate thoughts took over. She could do immense damage from down here. Then her mind began to wander towards sex, which she thought about daily. All it would take is to kick everyone out, lock the elevator and BAM! An entire room to get laid in, not to mention the mats in the gym area, which would work nicely as a soft cushion. Finally Jane stepped out of the elevator as boredom again took over. Now she would go mess with Tali because why not, she need more so called "friends" to not care about.

"So savage." She thought to herself and continued on.

She walked around the bend of the small hallway leading to the Normandy's core. There at a terminal, in her exo-suite of purple stood Tali. Jane quietly crept up to her, staying as quite as possible. Engineer Adams had noticed her when she first walked in a gave her a smile. Most of the crew enjoyed her shenanigans. She made the few tiny steps before she stood motionless behind Tali, waiting to scare the living daylights out of her. On the right, Adams could hardly keep composed, making Tali turns towards him. Finally she noticed Jane.

"Is it a human custom to stand behind one another and breath down their necks?" Confusion and innocence were evident in her voice.

Jane on the other hand was disappointed. She really wanted to get a good scream out of the young girl. A pout took over her face.

"I was actually trying to get a good laugh out of you." Jane lifted her hand offering a shake, which Tali complied with. "The name's Jane Madden. I'm the welcoming committee."

On their right Adams was thrown into a fit of laughter. Tali on the other hand seemed gleefully in awe.

"I didn't know there is a welcoming committee. This ship has everything." She squeaked.

Once again Adams could not control himself as Jane joined in. She shook her head as she laughed,

"Tali, that was sarcasm...haha..I wasn't being serious." Her laughter kept interrupting her words, leaving Tali with a confused glare.

"You're both bosh'tets." She exclaimed as she turned her back to them and continued working.

The next few hours continued like this. Jane would say something false, Tali would believe her and then Jane and Adams would overflow with laughter. At times Jane acted much like an oversized kid. She rarely let anyone see this side of her. Only Garrus had really ever seen it. Thinking of Garrus she had yet to bother him today and so she waved the two engineers goodbye and made her way towards the makeshift shooting range in the back of the cargo bay. As she walked away from the two, silence once again met her. This place really needed a pick-me-up, it was cold and depressing. She slowed her pace as she got closer to the shooting range. Garrus was the only one present as he seemed to be sighting in his new Mantis sniper rifle, something Jane wouldn't mind getting her hands on. She hobbled closer and watched, she could tell he was getting ready to take a shot from the way he began regulating his breathing. Then a gun shot echoed throughout the small area. Jane walked over to his side and looked to the target. He had hit dead center.

Jane let out a whistle, that was pretty impressive.

"Wow. Garrus Vakarian is good at something." She joked.

He set the rifle down and looked to Jane.

"You know I was hoping to escape your endless ball busting today." His voice was stern.

Jane laughed and leaned against the bench in front of Garrus.

"We both know you can't get rid of me that easy."

Garrus ignored her as he prepared to take another shot. He paused, slowed his breathing and shot, hitting the same spot as before. Jane again was impressed.

"Did C-Sec teach you how to shoot like that?"

Garrus grunted at her question.

"The only thing C-Sec taught me was how to hate red tape." He sighed and looked to his rifle. "My dad actually taught me most of what I know. When I was young he would always take me and my sister to the little set up he had made behind our house on Palaven. It was two small little targets one farther than the other. It was fun at first until he began to punish us for every missed shot. 'Do things right ot don't do them at all' he would often say."

Jane noticed some pain on his face as he talked about his father. He then looked to her.

"You know, I was actually a potential Spectre candidate."

Jane looked at him with surprise.

"No way. You?" She asked.

Garrus nodded in reply and continued.

"Me and about a thousand other turians." He laughed. "I had the opportunity to receive special training to help me prepare but my father was quick to end that. You see, my father has an extreme dislike for Spectres. He doesn't like that they have more power than most law enforcement. I don't mind too much about what he did but it still makes me wonder what it's like to be a spectre." He looked around the space and then to Jane. He began to whisper. "You became a spectre at such a young age. How did you deal with that?" He asked.

Jane was taken back by his question. No one ever asked her about her past.

"You read my file. I think you know what happened after." She became angry.

Garrus looked to floor and rolled his neck.

"Right. But what about those rumors about you being partnered with Saren. Are those true?"

Jane had to hand it to him, he sure did do his research. She stood and began to walk away.

"I'll let you believe whatever you want Vakarian, it's not like I can change your mind anyway."

With that she turned and left Garrus to himself. She was wrong. She had began to change his mind.

…...

Stepping off the elevator Jane was amazed to see howempty the Crew Deck was. Only two others besides herself stood on the level. It was weird to hear her own footsteps on the floor as she hobbled towards Garrus's quarters aka the Main Battery. She was again shocked to see his door locked. Going through the motions of knocking, she then heard faint noises of what was going on inside. She could hear a turian woman screaming through an orgasm followed by the laughter of what sounded like a female woman. They hadn't docked for four days now, so she knew it wasn't anyone living. Mr. Perfect Turian was watching porn. Jane had to muffle her laughter a bit in the realization that she had basically caught him jerking off. She just had to knock now...she had to see his face when he answered and she was there staring back at him. Again she heard an orgasmic scream and decided this was the time for her to make her move. She gave four short rasps on the metal door and inside you wouldn't believe the scramble she heard. Things falling to the floor, the volume of the vid he was watching becoming incredibility loud to being able to hear nothing at all and finally Garrus's shaky voice as he made himself more time. In between hearing all this he would shout out few words such as "Just a sec" and "I'm just cleaning up a bit". Finally, the door turned green and out stepped Garrus' form. At first his face showed hints of his pending apology until he realized it was Jane.

"Oh thank the Spirits. It's only you." He stepped out of the way and waved her in. Jane was surprised he didn't express any kind of anger towards her. She looked around at the spotless area, the man could clean up quick.

"So what is it that you were doing in here Garrus?" She asked slyly.

Of course she already knew his answer but she wanted to see him struggle to find an appropriate lie. Watching people squirm under her power was her favorite source of entertainment and right know Garrus was keeping her amused.

"I-Ah-Um- was just- you know-Calibrating." He finished his fragmented sentence with a smile, trying to hide his obvious lack of a good answer.

Jane laughed and continued her playful interrogation.

"So, any other time you leave your door unlocked." She walked clsoer to him and tilted her head. "I think you were being a bad turian, Mr. Vakarian."

The mood shift in the room was drastic. Everyone knew Jane was a shameless flirt but Garrus, who had been having some confusing thoughts about Jane lately, was like puddy in her hands. Jane went over to his terminal and there sat the vid he was watching. She resumed it from were he had stopped and crossed her arms, showing her victory. Garrus just stood in the middle of the room erection evident in his elastic undersuite, seeming to be lost in space and time itself.

…...

He was done with pretending to be a good Turian. How the fuck had Jane known he was watching a porn vid? Then without hesitation she starts throwing around her sinister, playful tongue and just like that he gets aroused like a teenage male watching an Victoria Secret commercial. Now, she stood there with a smug look on her face and her arms crossed like she had just won an epic battle. Suddenly, he charged towards her and grabbed her legs wrapping them around his waste. He took her over to his desk which held his many mods for his sniper rifle and set her down upon it. By now his penis had grown to it's full size which he ground into Jane while he covered her neck with butterfly kisses. Below him Jane looked fully into it as well, she bucked back whenever he ground into her and returned his kisses with her own. He began to slide Jane's shirt off when she stopped him, a single hand on his chest.

"Garrus." Her blue eyes met his own as the both shared each others disappointment. He too began to feel the guilt.

He unwrapped her legs from his waist and moved away from her. She began to fix her messy hair and wrinkled clothes. Garrus threw her some gun oil.

"He'll smell me on you. Make sure it gets everywhere."

Jane began to spray herself and stopped to look at Garrus, who sat with his head in his hands.

"It's okay to live a little." She smirked.

His head shot up along with his body and he walked over to Jane.

"How is that okay? How is anything we just did okay, Jane? I just almost fucked my best friend's, who has been by my side since grade school, girlfriend. That's not okay...We're not okay."

Jane sat calmly listening to his harsh words.

"A few weeks ago I couldn't even stand you! And now look what I did."

Garrus walked closer to Jane.

"My friendship with Nihlus and this mission is too much a risk. You and Saren are the same."

Jane stood up, anger rising.

"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Her hands were balled into fists.

Garrus brought the hurt.

"I know what you've done Shepard. Leading your fellow soldiers and all those colonists to die during the Skyllian Blitz, then after being named the first human spectre, you go out and slaughter a bunch of innocence just to apprehend one guy!"

"Garrus I-" Jane interrupted.

He turned away from her.

"No, I don't want to here it. You and Saren are both disgraces to your species." He spat.

Hurt flared up inside her.

"What's it going to take for me to get through to you!" She then caught a single tear running down her face and irritation took over.

"Believe what you want. I'm done explaining myself to you."

She then stormed out of the Maine Battery and towards the elevator. Garrus would be lucky is she didn't put a kill order out for his head.


	13. Chapter 13

What to do when emotions run wild. Many may cope by talking to a loved one or someone they trust. Others may find haven in visiting one of their favorite places or taking a bubble bath. Jane wasn't one of those people. Most times she would handle her emotions by suppressing them with alcohol or having hot intercourse with some poor guy, who would be left with feelings and without evidence of what happened the previous night when they awoke the morning after. Now, two days after having a quick but intense argument with Garrus, Jane had moved on to step two of her handling technique. At the moment, she was hobbling at an impressive speed towards Chakwas office. She was ready to fuck the shit out of Nihlus, so in honor of their agreement her cast needed to be off. NOW. She flew through the doors to the med bay and stood, waiting for Chakwas to notice her presence. She sighed and finally lifted her head from some paperwork she was viewing.

"How can I help you today Jane?" She asked.

Jane ran her hand through her hair and walked to one of the examination tables to sit on it.

"I need my cast off today Doc. I can't stand not being able to do anything fun any longer." Whined Jane.

Chakwas gave her the usual motherly look and stood.

"Jane you've had me check your leg what seems like hundreds of times to see if it's ready. What makes you think its healed drastically in a matter of a week?"

Jane gave her the kicked puppy dog look.

"Okay, fine I'll check again." She said giving in."But I don't want to her any more whining when it's the same as last week."

Chakwas then continued her usual examination of Janes leg and after a few minutes she began to shake her head in disbelief.

"Looks like you're getting what you wished for today." She walked to the left of Jane and grabbed the laser that would remove Jane's cast.

"Fucking finally!" Jane yelled out in happiness. " It seems like I've had this thing on for years."

Chakwas chuckled in response.

"There's still some things you'll need to do before you go pissing off spectres again." She said sternly.

"There's always a catch." Sighed Jane.

After getting some new restrictions and a PT schedule, Jane was off to find Nihlus. It had been two months since she had last had sex and right now various positions and techniques ran through her mind. She would jump Nihlus as soon as she found him. She expected him to be in the War Room where he usually was, so she was surprised when he wasn't. Then she checked in the CIC and again found nothing. She ran around the ship like a hormone crazed animal looking for a mate. Finally, she checked down in the Shuttle Bay. She could hear Nihlus' booming laugh before the elevator doors even opened. As they did, she was greeted by the sight of him. All 7ft and 6inches of him. He too, just like Garrus had was wearing his undersuite which showed off every lean muscle throughout his body. His grinning face turned to her as soon as she gasped with angst. Green met blue and immediately he noticed the missing cast. He excused himself from the group of men he talked to and walked to Jane, who still stood in the elevator. He smiled at her and quickly hit the button that would take them to his cabin. As soon as the doors closed Jane jumped him. She pinned him to the wall, shoving her tongue into his mouth at which he returned the action. Jane moaned with impatience as Nihlus began teasing her with his talons. The elevator dinged letting them know they had reached their floor. Nihlus guided Jane backwards towards the door, his mouth never left hers. When they reached the door he had to force her against it to type the lock code in, she was busy undoing the straps and zippers on his undersuite, as he worked on the door. After messing up the code twice, the door finally turned green and opened, leaving Jane who had been leaning against it to fall backwards unto the metal floor. Nihlus immediately panicked checking to see if she had hurt anything, while Jane just laughed. She grabbed his face and grazed her lips over his mouth.

"Just fuck me." She demanded.

Her command was encourage enough for him. He positioned himself over her, hands and knees on the floor. In one swift motion Nihlus undid the belt on Jane's pants and pulled them off. Then he began planting kisses from her naval to where her bra began, pulling her shirt off along the way. Jane helped move things along by pulling her shirt off the rest of the way and unhooking her bra. Nihlus stopped her before she could take it off.

"That's my job." He teased her with his tone.

He continued by slowly, peeling her bra off and teasing her exposed breasts with his tongue, leaving him with moans of pleasure from Jane. Nihlus then made his way back to Jane's lower body where he teased the sensitive skin near her crotch by gently tracing over the area with the tip of his talons. Then suddenly her ripped her lace underwear in half, leaving her body gloriously nude. He took a minute to take her all in, as Jane gave him a look of 'What are you fucking waiting for?!' and then rid himself of his already half off clothing. Jane brought her arms around his neck and sat up a bit, catching a long look at his grande sized cock, which was fully erect and hung, covering the gap between them with ease. He then lowered them both back to the floor, tracing Jane's jawline with his tongue and finally reached her mouth while at the same time entering her. Jane let out a large gasp of pleasure as he began to move in and out of her. Then without warning he picked himself up bringing her with him, never pulling out. He carried her to the large bed on the lower floor and set her down upon it, pulling out, making Jane cry with frustration. He made his way to his nightstand at which he pulled open the drawer, grabbing the cross-species safe lube. On his right Jane, began to moan louder and louder as she pleasured herself. He quickly covered himself in the gel substance and rolled over where he began watching Jane preform. He waited just before her release to intervene.

Grabbing her hand he removed it from herself, making her once again groan with the absence of something inside her. He then positioned himself back over top of her, making her claw at him to bring him closer. He again inserted himself into her, quieting her cries of want. Starting slow and gentle he ended up going fast and hard to keep up with Jane's demands. He tried to 'pound the shit out of her' as she wanted and knew he had succeeded when her screams and shouts of pleasure echoed throughout the room. He found his release shortly after and they both lay facing each other, still connected. Nihlus pushed the sweaty strands of hair from Jane's forehead and replaced it with a kiss. She snuggled closer to him and began to kiss under his chin, making him once again hard inside her. In that moment they knew they were in for a long night.


	14. Chapter 14

Garrus stood in the Main Battery, Jane's words attacking all rational thoughts in his head. He blamed himself for the entire situation, his curiosity and primal instinct had got the better of him. Garrus pondered on whether to tell Nihlus, he hated the feeling like he had just betrayed him. Nihlus was older and was the one that usually saved his ass from getting beat, and that about summarized Garrus' life throughout grade school. Their friendship had been a sort of set up since the beginning. Their fathers had also been close friends. They would spend pretty much everyday together and each holiday was spent with the two families together in either the Vakarian or Kryrik home. That was until Nihlus' father was killed in some freak accident, but the two young turians weren't told much about it. To this day both still didn't know anything more. That's what drove Nihlus to be a spectre. Every time he would talk to Garrus, he would tell him stories of valor and being able to bring down the scum of the universe in honor of his father. Something Garrus' father disagreed with. He and his father never got along for more than a few minutes before it turned into a fight of some sort. Things had gotten worse between them when his mother died a few years ago. Now, Garrus' sister Solana was the only one he would talk to regularly in his family, the rest usually took the side of his father. Nihlus and Solana were the only two that felt like family until Jane came around. The moment he met her in that small park, he fell for her charm, he had even been crazy enough to instantly trust her. She quickly ended that. To protect his friendship with Nihlus he had suggested they only talk when they really needed to, something he thought would work but of course she didn't listen. Every damn day he would have to deal with her endless harassment but that was the side of Jane most people seen on this ship. Seeing her everyday had its perks, every once in awhile the mask would fall off. The person under it, the true Jane Shepard, was someone Garrus could learn to like, hell maybe even trust again but he would only see that person for a few seconds before she realized he was watching. Those moments made him wonder about the past he thought he knew. Maybe he should do some more research or maybe even let her explain. Not that she would be talking to him anytime soon. He had made sure she left his life just as quickly as she had entered it and now, he longed for the turian whiskey that sat under his makeshift bed.

…...

" Uh-Fuck-Nihlus..YES!" Jane screamed in pleasure.

Nihlus's grunts and moans echoed her own and finally they both climaxed and spilled over each other for the second time this morning. Jane collapsed unto Nihlus's muscled chest, trying to catch her breath.

"Jesus, I fucken love morning sex." She said smiling.

She then moved and placed a quick peck on Nihlus's mouth.

"I need to shower-" She then sat up, straddling him and began to trace down towards his crotch with her finger, where his cock was again becoming hard. "Would you like to join?"

Nihlus then sat up himself, cupping her face with his large hand.

"I would love to." He gave her a turian grin and kissed her gently before laying back down and allowing her to start the shower.

He watched her plump, bare ass sway as she moved towards the bathroom, she look backed at him in a invitation.

"I'll be there in a moment." He laughed and watched her disappear through the sliding door.

The water hitting the metal floor, signaled it was time for him to join her. He left the bed, a tangled mess of sheets, and practically ran up the stairs to the bathroom. Inside Jane had already started shampooing her hair.

"I thought you would wait for me." He said with disappointment.

"I don't wait forever." She said smiling. She stepped her way towards him, something other than showering obviously on her mind. "I think we should go for round three this morning."

Nihlus giggled and brought her tight against himself.

"Wouldn't this technically be round thirteen?" He asked. "Considering we hardly slept last night."

Jane laughed and walked backwards under the shower head, allowing it to wash the soap from her hair. She could feel Nihlus' hard length from her naval down and was determined to have him inside her once more before they would have to start their day. She looked him in the eyes and he took over, apparently he had similar plans. Nlhlus walked her backwards onto the wall, where he picked her up and brought her legs around his hips as he entered her. Her wet skin made it difficult for him to keep her from sliding so every now and then he would have to thrust into her harder to save her from sliding down the wall, which brought loud moans from Jane. Neither of them lasted long before they met their release, tired from the night before. So for the last fifteen minutes after, they just washed and enjoyed each others company before Nihlus had to get dressed and fulfill his duties as Captain. He left Jane again alone and in for a boring rest of the day.

…...

Garrus awoke to the sound of his omnitool pinging. Lifting his head he grimaced as his hangover showed it's ugly head, while he wanted for the pinging to stop. He glanced at his wrist to see who had called; it had been Nihlus. Instead of calling back, Garrus laid back down and popped a few turian aspirin then fell back asleep. When he next awoke, Nihlus was standing over him with his arms crossed.

"What the hell are you doing Garrus?" His sub vocals showed extreme irritation.

Nihlus then walked over to the room's control terminal and suddenly every light in the small space turned on, making Garrus hiss like a vampire. Around the room things were thrown about and two bottles of turian whiskey lay empty on the floor. Nihlus looked to Garrus who covered his eyes with his arm.

"Why didn't you tell me you had gone back to this?" He waited for his friends response but instead got silence. "Garrus!" He impatiently shouted.

Garrus grumbled and sat up, swinging his long legs over the side of his cot. He stood, only then noticing he was completely nude. Nihlus just stared at him in disbelief.

"I thought you were over this faze man." He moved to pick up the bottles on the floor. "If you needed to talk about something you should of came to m-" Garrus stopped him before he could continue.

"Just because I decide to have a few drinks one night, does not mean I'm having problems again." He then walked over to his work bench where his visor sat and put it on. "I'm fine Nihlus."

Nihlus shook his head and sighed.

"There's too much at stake to have you acting like this Gar. You know what's at stake here, don't screw this up."

He turned towards the door and stopped.

"And put some clothes on. Your dick might intimidate the rest of the crew." Nihlus laughed and then walked out of the Main Battery, his and Garrus's laugh filling the silence on the Crew Deck.

…...

Back in Nihlus' cabin, Jane sat at a terminal watching various videos in attempt to pass the time. Usually, she would be down on the Crew Deck or talking to Garrus but for obvious reasons that wasn't an opinion anymore. She let out a large sigh and stood to make her way to the closet. She hadn't bothered to put any clothes on since Nihlus left, so now would probably be a good time to do so. After dressing she made her way back to the terminal when her a private number called her omnitool.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Is this Jane Shepard?" The voice on the other end asked.

"Yes...Who the hell-"

"Ma'am it's Vega. We have a problem."

"Vega?! Why are you calling me from a public line-"

"Saren scrambled all our coded lines Shep."

Jane stayed quiet for what seemed like hours as she worked to make their current com line unhackable, then she moved herself to the bathroom. A place where no cameras would be present.

"Shep? You still there?" Asked Vega after she didn't answer.

"Yes, I'm still fucken here!" Janes features filled with anger towards Saren. "Can you explain to me how he scrambled a coded line that technically doesn't even fucken exist?"

" he found our post on Feros Ma'am."

"WHAT?!" Jane screamed in rage. "When did this happen?!"

"A few days ago...We tried to contact you but like I said, the com lines were down."

Jane threw her hand over her face. "Vega, please tell me they at least got rid of everything that links the company to that post."

"That's another reason why I contacted you. The loco son of a bitch killed everyone before they could erase anything."

Jane felt like choking someone.

"So your calling in the boss to finish the work I pay all you dumb-asses to do? You're more than capable Vega." She spat.

"Listen Lola, I can't do it on my own and from what you've been telling me these past months is that you're bored as hell on that ship, plus some of your scientists from ExoGeni have some very hush hush info you'll need to see for yourself. Something about a reaper or something. Why not suggest to your little turian boyfriend-"

"He's not my boyfriend." She cut him off.

On the other end Vega rolled his eyes.

"Yea, Whatever. What I'm saying is tell him you've got a hit on Saren's location and meet me outside Zhu's Hope. Then we can clean the mess up and you can go back to doing whatever it is you're doing."

Jane smirked at Vega. "I like the way you think. I'll be in contact, I need everything you've been told on the reapers, for now use this com line. It's not as secure as our last but it'll do for now."

"Yes Ma'am" He saluted her from the other side of the screen. "By the way, what are planning on doing when they figure you out?"

Jane was caught off guard by his question and tried to quickly recover.

"That won't be a problem. Just focus on Feros."

James nodded in reply.

"Understood,Vega Out." He winked at her before cutting the link.

As soon as the screen went black, Jane raced to find some shoes. If the post on Feros was linked back to her company then she would be in for a major shit show. There was no way in hell she would let that SOB win like this, especially since the scientists had found something on the reapers. Now, She just had to pray Saren wasn't crazy enough to work with them like he had suggested years ago. No matter how reckless she would have to be to pull this off, she would do it.

…...

Nihlus and Garrus stood around the galaxy map, accompanied by a few of their scouts.

"Are you sure there was nothing else down there?" Asked Nihlus.

"The only thing we found on Eden Prime was the beacon, but it was destroyed before we got to it." Answered the scout holding a data pad.

Garrus took data pad from one of the scout.

"What about all the dead geth and the destroyed colony? You didn't find anything there either?"

The scout shook his head.

"We're still looking into it Sir. There's nothing evident enough to tell us who killed them. The bullet holes in the geth and the burn marks on the humans suggest they were attacked by two different groups. Like the geth killed the humans but something else killed them after."

Nihlus took the data pad from Garrus, and began to read over it.

"Dammit!' He roared. "I knew I should have gone down to the surface with the scouts." He looked to the galaxy map." Do we have any idea if it had anything to do with Saren?"

Garrus answered before one of the scouts could.

"There has been reports of him working with geth."

Nihlus leaned on the railing, looking down to his feet. "Yes, but nothing we can prove."

"But it's something. Isn't it?" Asked Garrus.

"If we go off blind rumors than we could end up on the other side of the galaxy and Saren could be attacking who knows who next." Replied Nihlus. "We need some kind of evidence before we go in guns blazing."

Garrus let out an annoyed snort.

"Got something to say Vakarian?" Shot Nihlus.

"If we sit here and do nothing he could be doing the same thing. You sound like a C-Sec officer when you talk like this." Garrus moved towards the map bringing up the Theseus System. "Although we don't have the evidence you want, I've been watching the schematics coming in from this system. There's been more traffic through the relays, leading to this area." He pointed to a spot close to the Attican Beta cluster.

Nihlus looked at his friend. "There's a new colony being built on Feros. That would explain the extra traffic."

Garrus could feel his headache slowly coming back. "Why is it you find every little reason to turn down any evidence I come up with?"

Nihlus pushed off the railing and stood face to face with Garrus. "Watch your tone Garrus. We may be friends but I don't need my second in command questioning my every decision."

Garrus stepped even closer to Nihlus, accepting the challenge. "I will stop questioning you when you actually do something to stop Saren." He stepped away, giving the Captain his space. " For Spirits sake Nihlus, we've been in space for almost two months and we have yet to find anything."

Jane stepped through the elevator just in time to see Garrus's and Nihlus's argument start to heat up.

"Maybe you should lead this mission then Garrus. If you feel like you've got it all figured out." Shouted Nihlus

Garrus walked up to Nihlus and poked him in the chest. "At least I would be doing something about it. All you do is send out scouts and complain about not getting what you want!"

Jane leaned against the wall watching the two young turians have their boyish fight.

Nihlus clenched his jaw while Garrus shouted his insults.

"I left C-Sec to get away from all the red tape and here I am stuck in it again!"

"Don't lecture me about red tape Garrus. It was that red tape that saved you from killing all those innocent people while you were going after that doctor!" Argued Nihlus.

It was Garrus's turn to stay silent and clench his jaw.

"Of course you bring that up! Because Nihlus Kryrik had never made a mistake in his life. Right?"

Nihlus's mood shifted from angry to apathetic in an instant.

"Come on Garrus, I didn't mean-"

Garrus wouldn't hear it.

"Just forget it Nihlus. You know where to find me if you decide to make a move."

Garrus turned to enter the elevator when he noticed Jane. Nihlus traced his gaze also to Jane and finally she pushed off the wall to walk towards Nihlus, completely ignoring Garrus.

"I may know where we can find Saren next." She smirked as she passed Nihlus and stepped up to the galaxy map. She was in awe when she noticed it was already pulled up to the Atticus Beta cluster. "How'd you know?"

Nihlus came up behind her and looked over her shoulder.

"Know what?"

She turned to Nihlus and he could see the fear in her eyes.

"That he was on Feros." Said Jane.

Behind both of them Garrus crossed his arms and smirked.

"Look who was right after all."

Nihlus turned to glare at his friend and then quickly made his way up towards Joker on the bridge. Garrus walked up behind Jane who was looking around the cluster on the galaxy map.

"Who gave you the tip that he was there?" He asked.

Jane gave a short ha before closing the map and turning to face him.

"I have my sources."

She then made a move to go around him when he stopped her. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face.

"Tell me it's not a trap." He demanded.

Jane used one hand to push him away from her.

"Don't worry. We both have a common enemy, there's no need for you to worry."

She then started to walk away then quickly turned herself back around.

"Why haven't you told him yet?" She asked.

Garrus seemed a bit shocked from her asking him such a question in the open, then he settled and shrugged.

"You haven't gave me a reason to." He looked to her and gave her a genuine smile. "Plus I don't know if I even have you figured out myself."

Jane smiled at him and looked to the floor. She shook her head as she entered the elevator and hit the button to take her to the shuttle bay.


	15. Chapter 15

They wasted no time setting a course for Feros. Agents of the Council had informed Nihlus, that there were reports of geth attacks throughout the entire world. The longer they waited, the more people that died on the planet's surface but that was something Jane wasn't concerned about. Her main worry was getting the reaper data and destroying the evidence before Nihlus and Garrus found anything. While the two turians geared up and picked their teams, Jane hung low and pretended to be a scared little patron hoping her knight in shining armor would come home safely. The act worked wonderfully and in no time Jane's plans were set into action. As the shuttles powered up for take off, she activated her tactical cloak while sneaking onto Garrus' shuttle. She stood in the farthest corner waiting to reach the planet's surface, where Vega would be waiting for her with her armor and weapons.

…...

It seemed like she waited hours before the shuttle finally hit ground. To Jane's dismay, they had landed right on the edge of Zhu's Hope, making her plan a bit more complicated. She stood, watching the team file out one by one until Garrus and herself were the only two left aboard. He took his time fiddling with something in the front of the shuttle and Jane's impatience got the best of her. She moved swiftly towards the door when a unexpected electric shock hit her, causing her cloak to short out.

"What do you think your doing here?" Garrus still gripped her arm as he spoke.

Ripping her arm free, she once again put on her act.

"You seriously think I was going to sit this one out.." She smirked..

Garrus stepped out of the shuttle and motioned for Jane to follow him out of the sight of Nihlus.

"I could see your stats through my visor the entire time Jane. I think you may need to rethink your infiltration tactics."

Jane laughed.

"Not everyone uses over calibrated visors."

Garrus flapped his mandibles in a smirk and then suddenly became serious.

"Why are you actually here?" He asked.

"I have some things to take care of." Jane quickly answered, almost on top of his own.

Garrus nodded.

"You know you're not making me trust you any easier. I know you must have some of your men here."

Jane dropped her head and suddenly the air became thick with tension.

"Shouldn't you be scared to get on my bad side then?' She asked with a devilish grin.

Garrus stepped back from her a few inches and crossed his arms. "You haven't set them after us yet, I have no reason to be afraid. Besides if you're stupid enough to screw this mission up, all I have to do is tell Nihlus who you are and then ship you off to prison."

Jane pulled a hair tie from her wrist and began to gather her blonde stands.

"If you were smart, then you'd think twice before you threaten me." She stated a matter of factly.

Garrus let go an accidental laugh and stopped himself before it continued further.

"And who said I was threatening you?"

Jane stepped towards him.

"Anyone who knows who I am...I take that as a threat." She patted his cheek before cloaking herself and taking off once again. She walked straight through the group of men Nihlus was talking to, undetected and made her way up the stairs towards her meeting point with Vega. She rounded the corner only to find her own men pointing guns at her head. She quickly uncloaked.

"It's me you idiots!" She pushed her way through her incapable men and found Vega.

"What do you got for me James?" She asked.

"Oh, you'll be giving me a big raise after this one boss." Vega turned, a cocky grin stuck on his face.

In a cargo drop next to him lay the latest N7 armor and a Black Widow sniper rifle. Jane's face lighted up like a kid in a candy shop.

Vega walked over to his boss that continued to admire her new gear.

"Got these beauts from an old arms smuggler. He came to us looking to get some Blue Suns guys off em, couldn't pay though. So in a trade we got the better end of the deal."

Jane slapped Vega on the back with pride. "I taught you well boy."

His head grew dramatically in metaphorical size. Jane began to put on her armor, noticing how it fit like a glove.

"Did I mention it's the latest model? Every piece of your armor contains tiny, micro- bots that are programmed to act like skin. It will expand or shrink to fit your figure perfectly." The young man tipped his head and laughed. "Or that's what the Doc said when I showed it to him."

Jane nodded her head to him. "Nice work James." She stopped admiring her new gear and got down to buisness. "You contacted Fai Dan, correct?"

Vega handed a data pad over to Shepard. "It's done, he's ready to give the diversion. That should give us enough time to clean up the evidence."

"Alright. Gather the men and we'll head out ASAP, let's see how good this armor works." Jane moved past Vega and peered around the corner only to see a group of geth waiting for them.

"Shit!" She whispered.

Vega and the rest of Jane's men stood beside her.

"I thought you cleared them out when you set down." She exclaimed.

"We did." Said Vega. "Every time we take a group out, another one appears. Saren has this place packed tight Shep."

"We'll go in quick." She motioned to some men in the back. "Move forward, Vega and I will cover you."

The men nodded in reply and started the attack on the small group of geth. Jane and her men took them out with ease, despite one of her men being injured by an annoying geth hopper. With the last geth killed they all pushed forward into what was left of Zhu's Hope after Saren's attack. Jane was immediately recognized by many of the colonists, who all seemed to look away when she passed by. They knew the power she held here. Although when she got to her destination, most of what had been of Jane's post, was gone. The entire building pretty much laid in rubble and only part of the entry way still stood. Some of her employees that survived the attack, worked to clear the rubble, looking for anything that could be saved. Jane's analyst, Liara, stood amongst the rubble helping to move some of the bigger chunks with her biotics.

"Liara!" Shouted Jane in delight. "I didn't expect to see you here."

The young asari finished setting down a large piece of wall before making her way over to Jane.

"Shepard" They both greeted each other with a hug. Liara stepped back at looked to the rubble.

"My visit wasn't planned but once I heard comm lines went down and that it was Saren who did it, I had to see for myself how he had done it. I've looked through all the data and it's mind boggling to think of how fast he did it all." She paused to move out of the way of an incoming cart carrying bodies. "I've tracked down the code that scrambled our comms but it seems ancient. I'll have to run the diagnosis again but the code seems to be of reaper origin."

Jane took a minute to process the words of her friend.

"Are you sure?" Her voice was filled with disbelief.

"Like I said I have to go through it again but that's what I got so far."

Vega suddenly interrupted their conversation by giving Jane the signal that Nihlus was on his way. Jane and Vega made there way into a secret tunnel the company used to smuggle illegal shipments in and out. On the other side of the small colony, Fai Dan and Arcelia Silva Martinez, two actors Jane had paid to distract Nihlus, played their parts wonderfully. After about two minutes into their conversation another wave of geth started open firing on the group, causing Garrus and Nihlus to jump into action. Watching the two turians in combat made Jane wonder, if only she didn't have important business to attend to. A large blast brought Jane back to reality and ended short battle. Nihlus resumed talking to Martinez who directed him and his men to the tower, they left shortly after leaving Jane again to tend to her business without being detected.

…...

Garrus and Nihlus had finally made it to the tower that the Martinez chic had told them about. Getting here wasn't the easiest trek either. They had fought their way through packs of geth on what seemed like every level the came a crossed. A few clicks back they had just witnessed the murder of a few colonists, something Nihlus still dwelled upon. The group of men now sat checking weapons and armor , while Nihlus stood a few feet away staring out upon Feros through a large whole in a near by wall. Garrus stood with a sigh, it was always a bit annoying when he became like this. Every time someone died around him, Nihlus would get into a pouty mood. Garrus blamed it on Mrs. Kryrik.

"Are you really going to do this now?" Asked Garrus

Hearing his friend coming up behind him Nihlus turned.

"Am I not allowed to think of my actions?"

Garrus rubbed his neck with agitation.

"That's not what I'm saying Nih. I'm saying that we have a mission and you could at least wait to sulk when we've made it back to the ship."

Nihlus said nothing to his friend. The glare he gave Garrus before he motioned to move out was a huge hint for him to back off before claws and teeth were exposed. With another sigh Garrus trailed the rest of the men out covering their six. A few minutes later they reached the tower, all was quiet when Garrus caught back up to Nihlus.

"I think we should take the high ground. It's way too quite in here, we should be expect an ambush."

Nihlus nodded and ordered the rest of the men to follow what Garrus had said. As on cue a small group of drones started to fire upon them followed by an assortment of geth troopers and destroyers. While they had the advantage of height, there was limited cover.

"Stay as low as you can!" Yelled Nihlus over the gun fire.

As the men would take out one trooper, a dropship would fly in and dump five more off. The group was pinned, with more geth closing in on them.

"If you've got any charges or grenades left, now's the time to use them." Nihlus ordered his men while he turned to Garrus. "Take your squad and try to get to cover. We need some attacks on their level." Garrus nodded and motioned for his group to follow. After reaching cover on the lower level, both squads worked together to clear out the room. The tower filled with silence once again. Garrus moved ahead, followed by his squad. Out of no where a geth Juggernaut appeared and began firing, a shot barely missing his head and taking out two men behind him. Watching from above, Nihlus struggled to make it down to the floor level as his friend dodged the shots of the Juggernaut. Once he had found enough time to get to the bottom level, the Juggernaut immediately turned his attention to Nihlus, allowing Garrus to find some cover.

"Bout time you got here!" He yelled.

Nihlus rolled out of the way of a shot.

"I was waiting for you to do something besides run" Nihlus yelled back.

Suddenly the Juggernaut shrieked and charged towards him, Nihlus moved out of the way and ended up behind the geth.

"Switch to disruptor rounds!" He yelled to Garrus.

With this advantage he and Garrus fired upon the geth together and a few heat sinks later, the Juggernaut laid lifeless. The two turians looked to each other and smirked with victory. Immediately after, Nihlus was at the side of the injured. Both of the men that had been shot before were badly injured but medigel would keep them alive long enough to reach the colony.

…...

Two hours later and Jane had still not been able to find and destroy all of the evidence. Everything that was pulled out of the rubble was nothing worth her time and every terminal found had been crushed to the point of no return. They had not been able to clear enough rubble to reach, what had been, a room they called The Vault. Everyone of Jane's company buildings and posts had one that contained the info of everyone they traded with, everything they smuggled and every person that had a target on their back, not to mention the sensitive information she had gathered about the reapers. The info in that room could not be found by Nihlus, Jane didn't want to add another kill to her list.

She walked out of a small tent they were using to sort through the things found and took a quick glance over the scene in front of her. Liara who once again stood, helping to move things out of the way, waved her over when they made eye contact.

"Shepard I hate to say this but I don't think we're going to be able to complete this in the time limit you gave us."

"And why is that?" Asked Jane.

"We've barely gotten past the lobby of the building. Saren has made retrieving what we need extremely simply need more time."

Jane crossed her arms and began to bite her lip. A habit that often appeared as she thought. "Then I'll make us more time."

Liara set down a piece of the building and turned to look at Jane straight on. "Are you thinking what I think your thinking?"

A large smile crept across Jane's face.

Liara's face filled with shock. "You cannot possibly. Shepard think of the way he'll react!"

Jane began to laugh. "That's the fun part. The look on his face will be priceless."

Liara stared at Jane with disapproval. "When your spectre boyfriend hauls you off to the ship, don't come to me looking for a way off."

"Awe Liara don't be like that." Jane jabbed a playful elbow into the asari's side. "And if that does happen just remember who gives you your paycheck." With a wink Jane took off towards the tent to let Vega know of her new plan.


	16. Chapter 16

He couldn't help but think of her smile. He couldn't help but think of the mystery she held within every inch of herself. Every situation brought the thought of her back to him and she wasn't even his to have.

Garrus sat, his back against some crumbling wall, in the small base camp he and Nihlus had set up outside Zhu's Hope. Bullet holes in his armor reminded him of what had happened a few hours earlier, along with the silence that had taken over their standing. Nihlus didn't like surprise, and he sure as hell didn't like to see soldiers hurt on his watch, these things Garrus knew well. Another sigh escaped his mouth as the thought of waiting for Nihlus took hold. He would take his time and he would fume about what had happened and then maybe he'd be ready to move on. Maybe. Garrus pushed himself off the ground and headed towards his tent, intending to take off his armor as he was the only one still in his. Piece by piece the blue and gray metal hit the ground with a thud, until finally, Garrus was left standing in his under suite. Just as he was about to rid himself of that also, an alert he had programmed into his visor told him Jane was near.

Again she attempted to infiltrate the camp with her cloak but she knew he could see. Was that her intention? Garrus stepped out of his tent, questions still in the back of his mind. Jane walked straight up to him, uncloaked and pushed him back inside.

"Jane wha-" He was stopped by a finger to his mouth.

"Don't say my name out loud." She whispered.

Jane popped her head outside the tent to make sure nobody had heard. Turning to bring herself back inside, she immediately made contact with Garrus's muscled chest. With a hand on her head she glared at him.

"I need a favor." She stated again popping her head out the tent. "Something to do with Nihlus."

Garrus crossed his arms.

"And why should I do anything for you?" He asked.

Jane's features showed a hint of pain from his words then quickly turned to anger.

"Don't you dare." She looked away from his face and down to his battered armor. "Don't you fucken blame me for what happened."

Garrus hide the mixture of emotions going on inside his head well. A deep tension took over the small space within the tent. Jane stood her ground, hands on her hips.

"Well will you do it or not?" She asked impatiently.

Garrus gave in with a heavy sigh.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I need you to get Nihlus to bring the team down into the tunnels."

Garrus laughed.

"I hope you're joking." He said.

Jane answered him with an aggravated stare.

"You honestly expect me to bring our entire team down into the geth infested tunnels?" Garrus asked.

Again Jane answered with a stare.

"You actually expect me to do this. Why?" He asked again.

Jane smirked and sent the information to his omnitool.

"It'll benefit you. Influence among the colonists and some credits for you, extra time for me" Jane answered.

Garrus looked to the info Jane had sent him. The hardness in his face began to melt away. Finally he reached out his hand to her.

"You got yourself a deal Shepard." He stopped shaking her hand for moment. "But if you're leading us into a trap, I swear to the spirits I'll hunt you down and kill you myself."

Jane retrieved her hand from his and smiled.

"If I were you I wouldn't keep threatening me."

Garrus looked at her and smirked.

"A small, squishy female like yourself hardly scares me."

Jane closed the gap between them in a minute, bringing a knife to his throat.

"You'll be amazed what this squishy human can do."

Without a second passing, Jane cloaked and left the tent leaving Garrus alone once more. He watched her slip away through his visor, still in shock as to what had happened a few moments before. He then looked back to the info she had sent looking for any indications that she was playing him but could find none. The more time he spent with her the more he wanted to know of her past. Jane Shepard had been a paragon from the start, so what caused her to change?

…...

Surprisingly, Nihlus had been all for venturing into the tunnels. Garrus watched him move around the camp as he talked to his men and prepared them for the trek. Nihlus had come out of his sulking mood and now had a unusual spring in his step. After finishing his conversations with the rest of the team, Nihlus made his way over to Garrus.

"We're ready to head out when you are. I'm letting you lead this one."

Garrus finished checking his rifle and stood, signaling to the rest of the squad that it was time to move.

…...

Jane made her way through the shipping tunnels of Zhu's Hope, at the moment she was very happy with herself for investing in their creation. They allowed her to move throughout the colony undetected. Although her cloak was advanced, it did not allow her to stay 100% undetectedable, as Garrus had proven. She took a sharp left up a flight of stairs and stopped. Gunfire was the first thing she heard, the screams of dead geth the second. She made her way closer to the meeting point. Running forward she found one of the few, viewing holes that had been put into the structure. Below she found the source of the gunfire. Garrus, Nihlus and the rest of their squad were locked into a small firefight with a few geth. Nothing they couldn't handle.

Again moving forward, she finally found herself at the meeting point. While sitting undetected on a platform above, below her stood a group of krogan warriors. She cloaked and armed her Widow, placing the sights on each of the krogan's heads to make sure she had full movement. Jane sighed, she sincerely hated waiting. Suddenly, without even a slight warning, a geth drone hovered to her level. She froze, hoping her cloak would keep her undetected. She slowly backpedaled into the tunnel, waiting for the drone to move on. Her hand twitched by her side where her pistol laid, if she had to, she would shoot but that would end in alerting every person in the room to her location. The drone moved closer to Jane, the machine obviously knew she was there although it could not see her. See the drone light up meant it was getting ready to fire, she watched intensely, waiting for it to make a move so she could make her own. As on cue, Garrus and Nihlus burst through the front door of the small holding. Forgetting about Jane, the drone hovered towards the two and began firing. Jane rushed towards her rifle, to her left two geth snipers took their turns firing upon Nihlus. The door again whooshed open and the rest of their squad joined them, one of their men had biotics and sent the two snipers spiraling through the air. Jane dropped them both, the silencer on her rifle left everyone in the room questioning how they mysteriously fell dead..

From her position, Jane could see the krogan preparing to take on the turians and their men. She put her sights on the leaders head, while keeping an eye on the others positions. Just as Garrus, who was leading, turned the corner, Jane let off a shot. The krogan fell to the ground but an orange glowing aura surrounded him and he stood up as if nothing had happened.

"Shit" she yelled out-loud.

She reloaded and shot again, this time he stayed down for good. Garrus had quickly learned the same and was barking orders to his men to shoot as they fell. After that, with Jane's help, the krogans were cleared out quickly.

Below her, everyone gathered around a jamming tower,one of the main reason Jane had given Garrus the tip that it was here. The damn thing had caused communication in the area to be messy. While they all stared at the tower quizzically, this gave Jane the chance to get to their level. She pulled on her helmet and gathered her gear before using some parkour moves to ascend down the walls. Once she reached the ground, she uncloaked and made her way towards the group. Coming up behind them she threw an electric charge on the tower before activating it. This caused the whole group to jump backwards at which they all finally noticed Jane. Immediately, all guns pointed to her. She put her hands up to show she wasn't a threat and Garrus finally spoke up.

"Stand down. She's a- a- friend." He struggled to get out.

Nihlus looked to him and ordered the men to not do as he said.

"A friend?"

Garrus lowered his gun and rubbed the back of his neck with nervousness.

"Uh-ya. She was supposed to meet us here."

Nihlus lowered his gun and stood in front of Garrus, they began to whisper back and forth. In the meantime, Jane stood hands up. Internally she smiled, her plan was going well, she had hoped Garrus would make a fool of himself. It would give her employees more time to clean up the mess back at the colony. Finally, Nihlus turned away from Garrus and walked towards her.

"Well, we're here now. What are you doing here?"

He dropped his arms to his sides, one hand gripping a pistol, showing his obvious lack of trust in her.

"I wanted this place cleared out, so I gave Garrus the location. I felt like I should come and help, so I did." Jane answered.

Nihlus's eyes grew large as she spoke, suddenly a quick hand signaled for the rest of the men to drop there weapons, at which they hesitantly obeyed.

"Jane?" He asked gently.

Behind him, Garrus stirred.

"Who?" Jane replied as though she was talking to a crazy man.

Nihlus shook it off and changed his demeanor.

"Never-mind. My mistake." He looked her up and down. "It looks like you have the armor and if what's left of that krogan's head means anything, you can surely handle a gun. So why don't you join us? You seem to know your way around and we could use that knowledge."

Garrus quickly made his way to Nihlus' side.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" He whispered, not so quietly to him.

Nihlus turned to him and smiled and then looked back to Jane.

"Well of course. We wouldn't want to leave your _friend_ behind, would we?"

He turned to Jane and held out his hand.

"Welcome aboard."

Jane nodded and took his hand in hers, he again looked to her in recognition. He knew she was more than she put out.

…...

Walking towards the back of the group next to Garrus, Jane followed the rest of the group as they all headed back through the tunnels and up the stairs towards the elevators.

"Where exactly are we going?" Asked Jane, not turning to look at Garrus.

Garrus looked a bit startled when she first spoke but then shook it off.

"Where heading towards ExoGeni. The facility hasn't answered our attempts at communication, so Nihlus wants to make sure everything's ok."

Jane's heart fell to her stomach there was no way she'd let them find out. A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

"Come on...Jan-I mean Sarah. Nihlus wants us up in front."

Garrus gave her a sheepish grin before moving through the group. Jane swore she would castrate him if he screwed up her plan. She hesitantly walked to the front, the men around her glared, she knew they didn't trust her, she didn't understand why Nihlus excepted her so quickly either but tried to force it to the back of her mind. Once in front, Nihlus turned to his men.

"Alright everyone, obviously the elevator isn't going to fit all of us, so we'll have to go in small squads."

Nihlus continued to spit out orders, while Jane ran a new plan through her head. She had not expected them to investigate the ExoGeni headquarters, something she had funded and built on Feros. On the outside it seemed fine but once they got in there and discovered the dark secrets the facility held, then she would have some bounties on her head. Well, more than she already had. As she became more and more lost in thought the world around her seemed to slow. The men who moved to their assigned squads, walked in slow motion. Nihlus's words seemed to be non-exsistant, everything around her didn't matter. Her body began to move into it's defense mode, the weapons that had been carefully tuned and carved into her brain began to appear. She wasn't afraid, no. She was ready to defend her secrets to the end, even if it ended in death.

…...

Next to him Jane stood staring into space as Nihlus ordered the men around. Garrus wanted to say something to her but was hesitant due to the fact that Nihlus stood so close. Actually, all he wanted to do was tell Nihlus is WAS Jane and that she wasn't the person she said she was but who knew if he would believe him. "Love" did crazy things to people, including turning friends against each other.

Nihlus finished assigning the squads and turned to Jane.

"You. I want you to accompany me."

Jane stood unresponsive.

Nihlus walked around to the front of her and tapped on her helmet. Jane came back with a jump.

"Huh. Uh yes." She said confused.

Garrus laughed as Nihlus turned his back to her and shook his head.

"Well since you didn't hear me before, I've assigned you to my squad." He spat.

Jane nodded her head and waited for the next set of orders. Her and Garrus made up Nihlus' squad. The rest of the men would be on their own. With the three of them in the elevator, it marked the start to their way towards ExoGeni. Before the elevator reached the top, Nihlus turned again focused on Jane.

"So what should I call you." He asked.

Jane shifted her wait and quickly looked to Garrus.

"Most people just call me Sarah." She said rolling her eyes inside her helmet.

In the corner of her eye she could see Garrus nodding his head in agreement. Nihlus turned to seethe status of the elevator, two levels until the top, then turned his attention back on Jane.

"Alright Sarah, try and keep up." With a turian smile he stepped off the elevator to lead the group.

Garrus turned and gave Jane a wink before following, leaving her to trail the group.

…...

Allowing Jane to drive the mako was a huge mistake. Firstly, she couldn't drive in a straight line. Secondly, she drove right over energy shields instead of going around them and worst of all, she had a huge grin on her face even when she almost drove the vehicle over the side of the highway. In the passenger seat Garrus held on for dear life, while Nihlus on the gun, seemed to be having as much fun as Jane.

After passing through the door that would lead them to the next Sky-Way, a transmission engulfed the mako. Jane stopped immediately and hoped for Nihlus to bypass the distress call but of course his paragon ways took control. Everyone piled out of the mako and Nihlus lead them to where the transmission had come from. Once inside they found a group of refugees. Every-time Nihlus started a conversation with one of them, Jane felt her eyes roll to the back of her head. Most of them were her employees, she could care less about their sob stories. Beside her Garrus seemed to be in the same boat as her but deep down she knew he was listening closely to ever conversation.

By the time everyone had stopped feeding Nihlus their stories, Jane had found a spot away from everyone and sent a message out to James, informing him about her current situation. In reply, he had asked her "Well what are you gonna do?", that made her want to punch him once she got back to the colony. Both Garrus and Nihlus began walking towards and she shot upwards, anxious to get out of there.

"Fucking finally." She sighed out.

Turning to leave she heard Nihlus laugh behind her.

…...

Reaching the ExoGeni garage was another death defying adventure and when they finally made it to the facility, the mako was instantly bombarded with shots from the geth. Every type of geth ever to be encountered seemed to be in the room. Unable to take the mako any further, the team was forced to exit. While Nihlus and Garrus pushed forward, Jane dropped back and cloaked. Bullets flew everywhere, geth were everywhere, it wasn't hard to find them. All you had to do was pick a spot and shoot and you'd probably hit one. They all worked well as a team. Nihlus and Garrus continued to push forward, while Jane would take out any geth trying the flank the two. Behind them the rest of the group finally showed up, joining the firefight. In a matter of minutes they cleared the room.

Jane reloaded and made her way back to the front of the group.

"About time you guys got here." She said jokingly.

All she got in return were the same cold glares.

"I want you all to wait five minutes before following." Nihlus said cutting their glares short. "Be careful and watch your backs. We can expect heavy resistance here."

With that Nihlus started forward. A locked door stood in there way but was quickly fixed with a decryption code from Garrus' omnitool. After sneaking around a deactivated armature, the group emerged into a cavern. Both Nihlus and Garrus stepped through, both dropping their guns to their sides as the room seemed to be empty. The two began walking across the room to a door on the other-side, Jane followed but quickly stopped when she felt a bullet ricochet off her armor. Both turians snapped up their guns along with Jane. A young brunette stepped out of the shadows.

"No! Please don't shoot! I didn't mean to fire...I got scared."

Nihlus brought down his gun and continued the conversation.

"It's alright." He put his hands up to show no harm. "What are you doing here?"

The woman hesitantly made her way over to the group.

"My name's Lizbeth Baynham. I'm a scientist at ExoGeni, I barely got out of there before the geth overran the place."

Nihlus went over to the girl and put a hand on her back to comfort her.

"Why do you think the geth want the ExoGeni?" He asked.

Lizbeth seemed to tense with the question and stayed silent.

"Lizabeth I need to know so I can help. Please tell me." Coaxed Nihlus.

"I think it may have something to do with the Thorian." She replied quietly.

"The what?" Garrus asked.

Lizbeth looked to Garrus.

"I don't know much about it but it's a creature that we've been studying. I didn't have the clearance to learn anything else but here." She reached for her pocket and pulled out her ID badge. "Take this if you're heading there. See if it can help you find anything."

Garrus took the badge and thanked her. Nihlus then sent the woman to meet the rest of his team and continued forward.

…...

The entire time the bitch blabbed her mouth about the Thorian, Jane wanted to shoot her. Her trigger finger itch and it took all of her might to not lift her pistol and blow the chicks head off. At least she played it dumb and didn't tell them everything but what was the point of employee meetings about confidentiality when they would tell any stranger about what was going on around the facility. Jane made a mental note to fire the bitch when things got cleared up.

She continued following Nihlus forward, while listening in on the whispered conversation he was having with Garrus.

"I wonder what's so important about this Thorian creature." Said Nihlus.

"I don't know but it doesn't sound good." Replied Garrus.

"As soon as we get back to the colony, some questions need to be asked." Said Nihlus

"I agree. There are too many secrets going on around here. We still haven't found out what Saren was doing either." Replied Garrus.

That's when Jane tuned out. She knew. She knew why he came here, what he did, and that the geth were definitely his doing. They continued further and up a flight of stairs, until they heard a voice of another.

"Ugh. Stupid machine!"

It was the voice of a krogan, there was no denying it. He spoke again.

"Why won't you- No cancel command. Ugh."

Jane recognized the voice. It was Urdnot Wrex, a mercenary she recruited regularly.

Nihlus stood and aimed his gun towards the krogan. Jane knocked the gun upward before he could get a shot off.

" Sarah! What the hel-" The krogan turned to them before he could finish.

With his powerful shotgun pointed towards Jane and Nihlus, Wrex seemed as though he was about to shoot until he recognized the N7 armor.

"Shepard? What are you doing here?" Asked Wrex happily.

Jane froze. Wrex didn't know any better but damn she wanted to shoot him. Next to her Nihlus tensed, the name Shepard brought along many red flags.

"What did he just call you?" He asked turning towards Jane.

"He made a mistake. I don't know why he called me that." Jane replied turning to Wrex. "My name is _Sarah_." She grit through her teeth.

Wrex changed his demeanor instantly

"Ah yes. You know us Krogan. We're not too good with names." He said to Nihlus.

Nihlus nodded and watched Wrex the entire way over to the terminal. Garrus joined him. Wrex looked to Jane and shrugged a shoulder towards them.

"Want me to end them?" He asked.

Jane brought a hand to her helmet, wiping some dust off the visor.

"No, not today Wrex." She replied with a sigh.

She looked towards the two turians who seemed to be infatuated with the terminal at the moment.

"Why exactly are you here?" She asked him.

Wrex made his way closer to Jane to keep the turians from hearing.

"Vega sent me out to get the information off the terminals before they did." He fished a data disk out of his armor and handed it to Jane. "I got to all of them except this once."

Jane nodded and sighed. Her head was starting to hurt from all the bullshit of the past few days.

"What I'm I going to do Wrex?" She slumped against the wall and looked to Nihlus.

"Well, you know how I get out of these situations but you already turned that down." He replied.

Jane laughed and sat up. Her reply unable to be heard as Nihlus shouted over her.

"We have to leave now."

Jane knew he had found out the truth behind the Thorian. Now she would have to help kill one of her biggest investments. She let Nihlus and Garrus run ahead, telling them that she would catch up.

"Wrex can you get back to the colony and warn Vega." She asked.

"Will do Shepard." He nodded.

Jane headed down the stairs. "Time to kiss millions goodbye" She thought as she caught up to the two turians.

…...

After dropping Lizbeth off with her mother and dealing with some craziness among the refugees, the squad of three made their way back to Zhu's Hope. The Normandy's pilot, Joker, contacted Nihlus along the way. Apparently, the colonists had started going crazy and were acting like the walking dead. Jane knew immediately that Vega had started the Mind Control protocol, this would cause the colonists to do whatever he told them to do. Or that's what they expected to happen, they hadn't really tested it much.

The entire way back Nihlus was silent, obviously in one of his moods. Something, Jane noticed this often aboard the ship and would try to distance herself, she had no time to deal with his brooding. When they reached the door to lead back to the main garage it wouldn't open. Again, they all piled out and Garrus worked to get the door open. After a couple seconds later it opened and the three of them where greeted by an army of thorian creepers. Another part of the protocol, they were what happened when the Thorian took control of some of the employees that researched it. They were easy enough to take down, a single shot to the head worked fine, or if you were Nihlus you used a shotgun that literally cut them in half. He seemed to be taking out his anger on the poor creatures. From above, some of the colonists sat firing at the three of them. Vega must have failed to include her on the 'No shoot' list. Above the firing Nihlus was yelling to them.

"Any ideas?!"

"Well we could just shoot them!" Yelled Jane in reply, not thinking before she spoke.

That got her glares from both Garrus and Nihlus.

"Or we could use nuero-shock on them. Just enough to knock them out." Suggested Garrus.

Jane rolled her eyes, both of them were goody two shoes.

"Fine. If you want to do it that way, here." Jane passed each of them a few canisters of Anti-Thorian gas. "This will reverse the effects of- whatever is happening to them and knock them out at the same time."

Both of them stared at her in disbelief.

"Where the hell did you get this?" Asked Nihlus.

Jane brushed it off with the wave of her hand. "It's not important. Let's just get this over with."

With that Jane pulled herself out of cover and threw a canister at the colonists. As soon as it hit the ground she detonated it, at which it instantly did what she said it would. Both Garrus and Nihlus just stood watching. She looked behind her.

"Well are you coming or not?"

The turians both looked to each other and followed Jane forward.

…...

By the time they made it to the main part of the colony, they had run out of the gas Jane had lent to them. This meant she was forced to get up and personal with the rest of the colonists left awake. Using her cloak and parkour skills, Jane was able to get behind many of the sluggish colonists and knock them out with her bare hands. Nihlus and Garrus soon followed suite, and by the time they reached Jane, she had already taken care of the last colonist and was setting the woman against the wall.

"Where did you find her Garrus?" Nihlus quietly asked.

Garrus shook his head. He would have never believed the things Jane could do if he hadn't seen her do them.

As the two tried to figure a way down to the Thorian, Jane looked to where her employees had been working earlier in the day. They had done a swell job of blocking off all the entryways to the thorian but then Jane quickly remembered the panel, the one Garrus was working on decrypting this very second. Jane mentally kicked herself as one of the makeshift houses lifted off the ground and revealed a stairway.

Down each of them went, one after another until they reached the open area at which the thorian was housed.

"Spirits" Mouthed Nihlus.

Neither one of them imagined the scope and size of the thorian, except Jane. She knew of course. Nihlus stepped out in front of the thorian and it immediately starting moving. Out of it's mouth came an asari.

"That's new" Said Garrus. "I've never seen a green asari."

After a few seconds, the asari clone spoke up. She began to explain that the thorian and colony was attacked by Saren to prevent Shepard from gaining more power and to stop her before she found out about the reapers.

"Shepard?!" Nihlus spoke up. "What does she have to do with any of this?"

The clone smirked and looked to Jane, she knew who she really was. Then shaking off the question she continued explaining how the thorian absorbed the essence of the protheans and gave the knowledge to Saren in exchange for her and an understanding that the thorian would be left alone. Saren broke the agreement and attacked, so the thorian does not want to talk to any 'meat bags' such as the squad in front of it.

As soon as the asari ended her short story, she attacked. Nihlus acted quickly and shocked the clone, sending her stumbling off the side, down the hole beneath the thorian. Shortly after, creepers began to close in towards the squad. With no room to find a place to snipe, Jane was forced to use her pistol. Precise head shots were a must. After dealing with the creepers, and taking of the first node of the thorian, the squad moved ahead. They moved through endless, dormant creepers before reaching the second level. Once again a clone waited for them at which Nihlus shocked and she too fell into the dark abyss. The next three levels became a routine for the three of them. Shock, fall, shoot some creepers, destroy a node, repeat. Until they reached the fifth level.

Swarms of creepers seemed to come from every angel, on top of another asari clone using biotic tactics against them. Jane with only a pistol, continued to drop the creepers with ease. Garrus and Nihlus were taking turns firing at the clone. Finally, the three off them were forced to stand back to back, in the middle of the swarm. Without warning the asari threw a biotic push at the three of them. Garrus was flung to the left, Nihlus to the right and almost over the edge and Jane was thrown backwards against the wall behind her. The force left her helmet display damaged, forcing her to take her helmet off. She stood and turned just in time to shoot down two creepers who threatened her right flank. Behind her Garrus continued to fire at the clone, while Nihlus allowed his shields to regenerate. He looked to Jane's position and immediately recognized the red tipped, blonde hair.

"Jane?!" He screamed.

She and Garrus both turned in his direction just in time for the asari to send another biotic blast their way. In front of Jane, more creepers charged towards her. Nihlus turned towards the asari and continue to help his friend.

"Why didn't you tell me it was her Garrus!" He yelled.

Another bullet whizzed passed Garrus' head.

"Must we really discuss this now?!"

"She could have been killed!" He again yelled at Garrus. The he dropped back into cover and turned to Jane. "You could have been killed!"

Jane, now out of bullets and resulting to hand to hand combat with creepers, yelled back to him.

"Nihlus. I can handle myself!"

He stood and fired at the asari until she was forced near the edge. Then shocked her, letting her too fall down the hole. He marched over to Jane and shot the last creeper. He took her in for a moment before pulled her into a large embrace, Jane struggled out of his grasp.

"I don't know what I would do if your got hurt on my watch."

He then grabbed her face and pulled her into a deep kiss at which she pushed away from.

"Nihlus stop it. I don't need you to treat me like I'm incapable!" She yelled.

"Jane, please let's not fight-"

Jane cut him off. "No."

Jane grabbed his rifle from his hands and began shooting the last node before moving away towards the edge to watch the Thorian fall down the hole. Nihlus turned to Garrus, anger apparent.

"You should of told me it was her." He spit out.

Garrus matched Nihlus anger.

"Don't blame me for this. She didn't want you to know."

Jane turned in time to see Nihlus punch Garrus directly in the nose.

"You never think about anyone but yourself." Said Nihlus.

Jane watched as the two continued to beat the shit out of each other. They truly did act like schoolboys. Finally, when the two of them seemed to be bleeding from every inch their faces, Jane ended it.

"Hey!." She pushed Nihlus away from Garrus. Garrus came from behind her and lashed out at Nihlus, Jane grabbed his arm and pinned it to his throat. "Cut the shit."

Both turians stood on either side of the room.

"Jane. I'm sorry" She was surprised to hear Garrus be the first to speak up.

"For what?" She asked confused.

"Everything." His voice wavered as he answered.

He walked towards her and away, heading down the slope towards the staircase. Nihlus made his way over to Jane, she put a hand out before he could reach her.

"Go fix things with Garrus." She demanded.

He looked hurt but obeyed. She could hear him calling Garrus as he made his way downstairs.

Jane made her way over to where her helmet sat. As she started to walk away, a pod on the wall broke open. Jane quickly brought up her pistol aiming it at the asari the popped out. After introducing herself as Shiala, she explained how she served Matriarch Benezia. She then went on to explain that Saren gave her to the thorian in exchange for the Cipher and then tried to kill the thorian to keep Shepard's scientists from getting any more information from it. Apparently Saren knew that Jane is working with Nihlus and is doing everything possible to stop her.

"Why does he care if I work with Nihlus?" Asked Jane.

"You hold more power than he does. Plus Nihlus's investigations aren't simply to bring Saren down. He' trying to find more on the reapers, something only he and the council know about." Replied Shiala.

For a moment Jane took in the possibility that Saren had been successful in working with the reapers.

"Let's say the reapers make it to this system. What can they do?"

Shiala moved closer to Jane. "Here let me show you."

Everything went black. Then. Images off death and destruction filled her mind. Then an image of a half biological, half machine creature. When Shiala finished showing her, Jane felt like throwing up. She thanked the asari and offered her a job, at which Shiala graciously accepted. After seeing what the reapers could do, there was no way she would let Saren have that power. When they had been partners, he often talked about the powers the reapers held. He was in charge of their investigation, although he would often look to her for advice with his research. That was when Saren had a heart and a conscience. After going on a solo mission outside the far rim of the system, he had come back changed. That's when the beatings began. He would often talk in his sleep, as if something was feeding him information, when Jane would wake him in worry he would become enraged and she would often wake with bandages throughout her body and an apology from Saren. As months passed that's when he began to get his implants, apologies became short in supply and betrayal more apparent. After leading her into a firefight, she had lost all the men and women under her command. Then to seal her fate, Saren had ran through the colony and killed every colonist in his way, just to find one indoctrinated man. That man died two hours after he had found him, Saren was unable to get any info out of him. When Jane had finally caught up to Saren he was already leaving the planets surface. Next thing she knew, he had framed her for the murder of her team and the colonists. No evidence was strong enough to save her, every attempt by the Alliance and her good friend David Anderson, were quickly shut down. She was then sentence to life in a secret council prison but Anderson was persuasive enough to convince the Council to hand her over the the Alliance. Only her closest friends knew the truth. A few years later, those friends helped her to escape the Alliance prison. After she had contacted the highest command within the Alliance only to receive a 'we appreciate all your sacrifices but you we must come and apprehend you' type response, she went into hiding. Many of the soldiers she commanded left the Alliance and followed her, ready to stand by her side. False identities and disguises became her life. Each new identity allowed her to reinvent herself, away from her true self. She had once been a hero and a face everyone trusted, that person was quickly killed by Saren's false accusations. Never again would she be able to use her true identity and be accepted. Her newest identity, Jane Madden, was the longest one she held. It allowed her to once again be someone with strength and a say, even if she wasn't the paragon she used to be.


	17. Chapter 17

Days after everything went down on Feros, Jane's life had become even more complicated than before. Nihlus and Garrus had returned to the Normandy, while she chose to stay behind and clean things up in Zhu's Hope. Of course she had never told Nihlus any of this, and daily she would have to reply to his messages of " where are you" and "are you ok?". Keeping hidden from the spies he sent to look out for her was also a daily chore. The man was a bit obsessive. Liara told her it was because he deeply cared for her, Vega told her it was because she was probably the best piece of ass he's ever gotten. James got a much needed smack in the face for his comment.

By now, most of what had been the posting in the small colony was cleaned up and rebuilding had begun. Since profits were high and Jane had more money than she knew what to do with, she decided to help with reconstructing Zhu's Hope and again ExoGeni. A few days after this began, reports had come in that she was number two on the most wanted list, the number one standing was some asari named Aria. So just as she had planned, the bounties on her head flooded in and Jane had to once again up her protection.

She often thought of returning to Nihlus and the Normandy. From there she couldn't really run her business but Vega had been doing a fine job. She made a mental note to give him a nice raise in the near future. Jane actually missed the crew of the ship, along with sleeping by her spectre's side every night. He was making her soft, something she would never admit. The thought that he would do anything for her was what really made its mark. She would spend a few more days on Feros and then she would return to the Normandy. She didn't care what everyone thought, not only did it make her happy but it would allow her to get closer to Saren. The task of taking him down would be much easier with Nihlus around. No. The task of taking Saren down would be much easier with a ship like the Normandy. At that moment, a sinister plan popped into Jane's head. Jumping out of her bed, she quickly clothed herself and ran out the door of her newly built apartment on the edge of Zhu's Hope. She walked quickly towards Vega's tent, where most of the rebuilding progress was being observed. Pushing her way through the plastic door, Jane was happy to see that only he and Liara stood in the space, making her life much easier. When they both noticed her presence, she was greeted with a smile.

"Wazzup Boss?" asked Vega

Jane motioned for them both to take a seat on the stools that stood behind them. Once they sat, she started.

"I want to take the Normandy." Jane stated.

Her words were met by blank stares, causing a spark of frustration in her.

"What? Give me some thoughts." She demanded.

"Uh don't you think that's a bit risky Shep? Stealing from the Citadel Council." Replied Vega.

Jane gave Vega a look of disapproval. "Everything we do is risky and it's not the Council's ship. It's Nihlus'."

It was Liara's turn to speak up.

"What will your boyfriend think about you stealing his ship?" She asked.

"Well if the plan goes well, he won't be conscious when it happens." Replied Jane with a smile.

"What about Garrus?" Asked James.

Jane smirked and bit her lip.

"I'll handle Garrus. As long as I appeal to his ego, he'll help."

The three then spent the rest of the day planning out their attack on the Normandy. Liara would be in charge of taking it's defenses down. After, Jane would ping Nihlus and tell him to pick her up. Once in the shuttle she would render him unconscious and pilot the shuttle the rest of the way. Inside the Normandy, Jane would rush to the medbay and tell Chakwas that Nihlus had been attacked. During all the chaos of everyone rushing to Nihlus's side, she would find Garrus and tell him of her plan. After some threatening remarks and probably the promise of taking him on a egotistical journey, she would count on him joining. Then she would find her way to Joker, offer him some credits to be her pilot and hopefully he would accept, then Jane's men would flood the ship and she would take over. If Joker didn't accept then, she'd probably pilot it herself. To Jane it was a perfect plan, and she didn't care who got in her way. No one would stop her.

...

Nihlus worried about Jane, plain and simple. The thought of her throwing herself into another firefight, like she had after consuming a false identity, made it hard for him to work. Mountains of reports and paperwork littered his workspace. The Feros case had been the cause of this, too many things had happened on one planet. Currently, Nihlus was trying to write out the report on the tunnels, something Garrus should be doing but he would rather finish them, than listen to Garrus huff and puff about it. Two more minutes had passed and still Nihlus had not made any progress. Five minutes, ten, fifteen and his brain had again gone to Jane. He ached for her. Her sweet sent lingered throughout his cabin making matters worse. He stood and loped down the small flight of stairs, heading to his bed. Slumping down into it, he began staring into the abyss above, through the small window in his ceiling. The black was painted with small lightly colored dots, unmoving. That's how he felt without Jane. Stationary. Dead. Nihlus often kicked himself for letting her effect him so much. Never before had he let a woman come before his duties of a captain and spectre. It was hard to focus on work when she was around but it was even harder when she was away. Drifting into a Jane riddled sleep, Nihlus' omnitool then shook him awake. He answered it, eyes still closed.

"Hmmm yes?" He asked.

On the other end he heard a giggle and immediately recognized it to be Jane's.

"Jane!" He sat up. "I uh didn't know you would be calling me this early." He said confused.

"Well, I have a special request for you." She answered flirtatiously.

Nihlus's raised his brow plate. "And what is your request?"

"Can you come and get me?" She asked.

Nihlus lept out of bed and began getting out of his pj's and into more suitable clothes.

"I'll be down there with the shuttle ASAP." He replied.

"Great!" Jane said happily. "See you soon Kryik."

"See yo-" Nihlus tried to get out but she had already ended the call.

After getting dressed her quickly ran to his terminal and messaged his assistant. Garrus would have to finish the paperwork.

…...

"He what?!" Asked Garrus surprisingly.

"He told me to give you this to finish." Replied Kelly Chambers.

Garrus took the paperwork being shoved into his face with a grumble.

"Did Nihlus say why he left me this?"

"He had to pick up Miss Madden." Kelly replied.

With a roll of his eyes, Garrus turned and set the pile of papers on his desk.

"So she's coming back?"

Giving him a sly smirk, she then looked towards the door of the Main Battery.

"I believe that is something you'll have to discuss with Mr. Kryik." Replied Chambers. "Good day Garrus." With a tip of her head she left him alone once more.

Garrus let out a large sigh and began running numerous scenarios through his head, contemplating the thought of telling Nihlus about Jane's little secret. There would be shouting, disbelief, and it would probably end in another little fight between the two of them. Garrus knew he could tell Nihlus all he wanted but in the end he would want proof but how the hell would he prove Jane Madden to be Commander Jane Shepard? The woman had stayed in the shadows for years now, uncloaking her would be a large task. In another scenario, Garrus could keep his mouth shut and continue on like he knew nothing. Jane had been a good friend even before he knew who she really was, plus a person was such power as she had wouldn't be bad company to keep. At the moment Garrus' renegade side was shining through. He could even appeal to her and become her partner, the credits he would collect and the power he would gain made him want to choose that path. Those thoughts also made him sick. Garrus was no good turian but he stood for what was good, for what brought justice. Maybe he would just keep his mouth shut and see what she had planned next.

…...

As soon as the shuttle came into view, Jane's body began to fill with adrenaline as the thoughts of what was yet to come, flooded her mind. She was so ready to get her greedy little fingers on the ship. This was probably one of her most scandalous plans with the exception of her going rouge so many years ago but that was a story she would never tell. Dust flew up around her as Nihlus landed the craft, she put on her best fake smile and waited. The shuttle door was quickly opened and out shot Nihlus, a huge turian grin accompanying his face. He made his way towards her and then quickly grabbed her, pulling her into a sloppy kiss. Catching her breath, Jane smiled up at him.

"It's nice to see you too."

Nihlus laughed and pulled her into another kiss.

"I missed you more than you know." He said after.

Jane continued to smile, but said nothing. Her eyes began to betray her, showing the guilt Nihlus' words had brought.

"What's the matter?" He poked at her.

Jane quickly snapped out of it and picked up her luggage. "Oh nothing. I'm just a little tired."

Nihlus nodded in reply and helped her load up her bags. Once inside the shuttle, the two strapped in and began to make small talk. In between talking about the weather and what they had each done the last couple days, Jane received the green light from Liara. The Normandy was ready to be taken. Jane waited until the ship was in sight before knocking Nihlus out. He didn't even see it coming and fell limp as soon as Jane hit him with the butt of her pistol, something he failed to notice when the first met on the surface. Taking control of the shuttle was easy and since the captain had registered the ship out, there was no clearance required for Jane to get back in. She began to grin to herself when she finally set down in the shuttlebay. Momma was about to have herself a new ship.

…...

From outside the Main Battery, Garrus heard screaming, accompanied by hysterical crying. It was Jane. He then heard the voice of Chakwas, trying to calm her down. He opened the door and walked through. Most of the crew was standing around Jane listening to her barely understandable babbling. Then as if a switch had been flipped, everyone took off towards the elevator, Chakwas included. Jane stood frozen as the Crew Deck became empty. Only she and him remained. Garrus' clapping hands ended the silence.

"Well, well. What a performance."

Jane looked to him with an evil grin.

"It was, wasn't it?" She replied.

"What do you have planned this time?" Asked Garrus, arms crossed in front of him.

Jane looked to him and the slowly made her way towards the kitchen area of the Crew Deck.

"Do I need something planned to have a little fun?" She snickered.

Garrus's patience began to ware down, along with his playful attitude.

"What did you do to Nihlus?"

Jane pulled a bottle of scotch from a cabinet below the sink. She slowly poured it into a glass sitting on the counter. Garrus, tired of her stalling, quickly made his way over to Jane and grabbed her wrist.

"What did you do to Nihlus?!"

Jane, giving Garrus a cold stare, waited for him to let go. Once he did, she turned to face him, her glass in hand.

"Just a little bump on the head. Nothing major."

Garrus relaxed a little with her words. Across from him, Jane sipped her drink. A moment a silent tension was shared between the two.

"Why'd you come back Jane?" Asked Garrus.

Jane laughed and tilted her head.

"I actually did miss this place." She looked around the deck and then back to Garrus. "And in retrospect of what you may think, I am quite found of Nihlus."

Jane then shifted and made her way towards Garrus, placing her mouth close to his ear. Garrus looked at her from the corner of his eye, waiting for her next move.

"I'm also here to take the ship." Whispered Jane and returning to her original spot.

Garrus looked at her for awhile, she just stood, drinking.

"You can't be serious." He finally replied.

Jane, feeling a buzz from the alcohol she had been drinking, laughed and set down her glass.

"When do I ever joke?"

Garrus again looked at her in disbelief.

"We have a mission! I won't let you take over and keep us from stopping Saren. If you make a move I'll- I- I can't let you do this Jane."

With a playful smile Jane brought her hands up in a mock surrender.

"Whoa. I never said anything about not stopping Saren." She then turned and started walking towards the elevator.

Running after her Garrus grabbed her shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

Jane looked to his hand on her shoulder, an electric current ran from him to her. She quickly shrugged him off and continued to her destination.

"Jane!" Yelled Garrus.

She quickly spun around and faced him.

"What's it look like I'm doing. I'm taking my ship."

"You don't need to do this. Don't you have enough power?"

By this moment, Garrus was frantic causing Jane to erupted in laughter.

"You seem to have enough porn but insist on buying more. Its the same for me."

Garrus gave Jane an angered look. If turian's faces could change colors, his would be beat red.

"Now is not the time to joke."

She laughed and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Now if you'll be a good boy and let me be on my way."

Garrus stood in front of Jane.

"Why are you acting like this? Jane Shepard would never do this."

Jane crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg.

"I'm not her anymore. That hero's been dead a long time."

"I don't believe that." Replied Garrus.

Jane sighed and tipped her head back.

"A word of advice. Don't expect me to be who I was, I always disappoint the people that try. Now get out of my way before I move you myself."

Garrus stood his ground. Jane quickly turned him around and had him pined inside the elevator within a second. He struggled to get out of her grasp. Between struggling groans and Jane's laughter, both failed to realize the elevator moving downward. Before they knew it the doors had opened to reveal most of the crew and Nihlus, who held an icepack to his head.

"What the hell is going on here?" Asked Nihlus aggravated and confused.

Jane and Garrus turned to their audience, both their faces looking like deer in headlights. Struggling once more, Garrus finally escaped Jane's hold once she had been distracted. Both of them took a step away from each other. Looking over to Jane, Garrus one again noticed her face turning pink, like it had that day at the hospital. The crew around them stayed silent, waiting for one of them to answer the spectre.

"Garrus and I were just playing around, catching up for lost time." Jane finally replied, adding in another fake smile.

Nihlus looked at both of them, lacking reassurance. Garrus glanced from Jane to Nihlus and then left the elevator, heading towards the Mako on the right side of the room. Just as Nihlus made his way towards Jane, she closed the doors and sent herself upwards towards the CIC. Nihlus' mandibles went slack against his face with confusion. Everyone in the room turned to Garrus, who was busy pretending to calibrate the machine in front of him.


	18. Chapter 18

Why did the damn elevator move so slow? Jane leaned against the back of the metal inclosure and sighed to herself. Most of her plan had worked, with the exception of Garrus being unusually moralistic. Now, all she had to do was march up to Joker and declare her new rule over the ship but she expected that he too would show some hesitance. Nothing a bit of persuasion wouldn't fix. Finally, the elevator reached the CIC and moved to a halt. Stepping out, Jane noted on how everyone seemed to go about their day as usual, little did they know that they would be replaced soon. As she passed, many of them offered a smile her way. All they seen her as was Nihlus' lover, nothing to be threatened by. Jane grinned to herself as a sort of "pat on the back" way, her little guise had worked and allowed her to compromise most of the ship. The short trek to the helm of the ship didn't last long and as she finally got to the final step on her plan, she decided to draw it out a bit. For fun. Another sinister smile, spread across her face.

"So Joker, tell me about, what it is that you do up here."

The pilot jumped at her words, not expecting to have someone behind him. He quickly turned his head to see who had intruded upon his space.

"Jesus Jane! About gave me a heart attack there. Warn a guy next time." Joker finally spoke.

A genuine laugh escaped Jane's mouth.

"Well I was told I could go anywhere I wanted on this ship. Captains orders."

Joker turned his head and looked to her again.

"Ha. Yeah. I guess that settles who orders who around in the bedroom."

Jane raised an eyebrow to him.

"You're telling me you wonder about such things?" Asked Jane.

"There has to be some kind of gossip on this ship. It would be too boring without it." Replied Joker.

Jane and laughed, making her way to the empty co-pilot seat and sitting down.

"Does Nihlus know he's in the center of his crew's gossip?" She asked.

Joker looked over to her and made a face of pain.

"Ah I guess he will now. Probably shouldn't of told you that."

Jane tilted her head in an almost alien way.

"Just because you told me doesn't mean I'll tell him." She turned and looked out to the space in front of her. "There are many things I haven't told him."

For a moment Jane got lost in the stars, in the multiple lies she had created in her life. The many identities she had worn, the people she had screwed over.

"Don't get all deep on me now. Didn't think this would turn out to be a group therapy session."

Joker's words brought her out of her small trance and again she put on her mask. The smile that hid everything.

"You saying you need therapy Joker?"

"Don't we all?" He laughed and shifted in his seat.

Jane looked to the controls that sat in front of him. So close. So close. She stood and made her way to rest on Joker's seat behind him, hands at her sides.

"You never did tell me what you do up here besides sitting here." Breathed Jane.

Joker again shifted and leaned to his right, trying to look up at her.

"Believe it or not, I don't just sit up here to look pretty." They both laughed. "Most of the controls that run the ship are up here."

Jane's focus then tuned directly into him.

"You've got my full attention. Do tell."

Joker let out a sort of nervous laugh and turned again to face forward.

"You planning to steal the ship or something?" He joked.

Jane played along, laughing.

"Not at all." She paused thinking. "I'm just really interested in all this ship techie stuff."

Joker laughed.

"Well all this shipy techie stuff can get pretty complicated."

Jane crossed her arms behind him.

"I'm all ears Joker. Show me."

"Ok. If you really want to be bored to death."

He lifted his arm and pointed his finger towards a large circle in the center on the main console.

"This button right here..."

…...

"Care to explain what just happened?" Nihlus shot towards Garrus.

Where he stood fiddling with the Mako, Garrus stiffened. Again scenarios and statistics ran through his head. To tell Nihlus of Jane's plan or not to. Cause a bigger problem or let it go and let Nihlus deal with it later. As Nihlus got closer to him, his thoughts ran faster, looking for an answer to give.

"Vakarian tell me what happened." Demanded Nihlus once more.

Garrus turned away from the machine and towards his friend.

"We got in a little spat. That's all."

Nihlus's mandibles showed irratation.

"So you thought hand to hand combat would be better then talking it out. Garrus she's a fe-"

"Nihlus she attacked me." Garrus interrupted him.

Again disbelief took over his friends face.

"She what?"

"She attacked me." He stated not looking away from the terminal in front of him.

Here it goes. Here comes the question that'll cause the shit storm.

"Why would she do that. She just got here. You two can't possibly be at each others throats already. I don't under-"

Again Garrus cut him off by grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the rest of the crew.

"Jane plans on stealing the ship." Stated Garrus.

If only Nihlus's face had been caught on video. Confusion, shock, disbelief and then a smile.

"Really Garrus. You expect me to believe that."

Bringing a hand up to slap him on the shoulder, Nihlus was again stopped by his friend moving away from his touch.

"You know how she handles a gun. You know how she moves throughout a battlefield with finesse. Dammit Nihlus she even managed to sneak around Feros without you knowing. Jane Madden is not who she says she is."

Garrus then turned back to the Mako and continued his calibrations.

"I bet you a whole bottle of turian whiskey, that she's up in the helm right now. Talking to Joker, making her move to take the ship. If she hasn't already."

Nihlus stared at the back of his friends head. Anger and betrayal began to overtake the disbelief on his face. Then at the same moment, he was gone. Hurling himself towards the elevator with a growl.

…...

She couldn't do it. What the hell was wrong with her? Joker was literally handing her the controls of the ship and she couldn't find it in herself to finish her plan. She closed her eyes and handed the wheel back over to Joker, who smiled and returned to his seat as she got up. Jane's chest began to tighten, she hadn't had an anxiety attack like this since she was forced to listen to her sentence in the Council's court room. She put a hand to her chest and gasped for air, Joker had said something to her but she couldn't make out his words. Her time line to take the ship had passed by then and her omnitool pinged continuously with messages from Liara and Vega. She was on the floor now, gasping, clenching her chest. Her mind began to clear but her body still betrayed her, irritation began to rise. The ear that was to the ground then detected, long hurried steps coming towards her. Then all at ounce, she regained control of her body and mind while she was being lifted from the ground and pushed against the metal wall by Nihlus.

"What are you doing here?!" Nihlus shouted into her face.

To the side of her Joker stood wide eyed, shouting at his CO. Nihlus gripped Jane's shirt tighter.

"Answer me." He demanded.

"Nihlus what are you talking about?" She choked out.

He let go for a moment and then let her slide down the wall. He clenched his hands at his sides but kept his eyes on her.

"Tell me what Garrus just told me is a lie."

Jane's dropped her head. Dammit.

"Do you want me to lie to you then?"

"I can't believe this." Disappointment and anger ran throughout his subvocals.

She expected the reaction he gave her, it was always the same. Nihlus grabbed her wrist and gently led her away from the helm, Joker continued to stand behind them. The entire crew watched them moved, as they had just witnessed what had happened. Nihlus brought her into the elevator and then into his cabin where he hand-cuffed her to his desk chair. He then radioed Garrus to come and join him. In Jane's mind, she stood on a cliff. She could walk away and keep her show going or jump and allow years of secrets and responsibilities to splat on the ground below.

Nihlus had dragged two chairs from the lower part of his cabin and allowed Garrus entrance into his cabin before Jane had really settled into her situation. Garrus came over and stripped her of her omnitool while Nihlus sat in front of her. When Garrus returned he chose to stand, his omnitool running a program to detect any abnormalities on her.

"She's clean." He spoke to Nihlus.

Nihlus sighed and rubbed his hands together before making eye contact with Jane.

"You know when I first saw Saren in your apartment that night, I had my suspicions on who you were." He shifted in his seat. "The way Saren acted should have more than confirmed my theories but both of us know that I had little time to ponder them."

Garrus then took a seat next to him.

"After I was attacked I knew Saren had been indoctrinated and as I informed the Council and they again bypassed my suspicions. I knew I was on my own. You see Saren wishes to bring the reapers into this system to gain power, he sees himself as a god under their control."

To his right, Garrus seemed to be in disbelief as his friend told his story.

"My main mission was and still is to bring Saren down but I also needed to stop this reaper attack. That's why I brought you aboard."

Nihlus shifted his weight forward and leaned to Jane's level.

"I've known who you were the entire time Shepard."

Jane sat wordless and Garrus seemed to become angry at his friend.

"You knew?!" Shouted Garrus.

Nihlus sat up and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yes. Why would I bring a civilian on this ship?" He then stood and grabbed a data pad from his desk. "I knew Shepard had been partnered with Saren throughout his reaper investigations, so when I confirmed it was actually Jane Shepard that had made her when into my grasps, I made sure she was brought into this mission."

Garrus looked over the data pad in his hands.

"This says the council knows she's here."

"Yes." Nihlus sighed. "I let them know as soon as I was sure."

"What?!" Shouted Jane as she struggled to get out of her chair.

Nihlus laughed and put steady hand on her head.

"Relax. We have an agreement. You won't have to worry about the repercussions anytime soon."

Garrus stood.

"Nihlus she deserves to be locked up, not riding free on your ship." She growled.

"You think she's free on this ship." Nihlus looked to Jane. "She's been under my watch the entire time, one bad move and I have the authority to arrested her."

Jane slumped back against the chair. The bastard had used her the entire time, he had won at her own game. Garrus had too slumped back into his chair, showing defeat.

"So what do we do know?" He asked.

Nihlus brought his arms behind his back and sighed.

"Well, now that we have this all cleared up, we go after Saren." Nihlus nodded to Garrus. "I need you to inform the crew on the situation. Tell them Jane's true identity and let them know she has been given back her spectre status."

Jane gasped, while Garrus shook his head and left the room.

"Why would they do that?" Asked Jane.

Nihlus removed her hand cuffs.

"They want you to be as effective as possible. Your spectre authority allows you to be so."

He then moved down to his couch and poured himself some turian brandy. Jane hesitantly stood above the stairs.

"What deal did you make with them?"

Nihlus' head shot up and he sighed.

"With who? The Council?"

Jane nodded.

"Let's just say, as long as you help me you're free. Try running or sacrificing the mission and you're done."

Jane walked down the stairs, irritation growing.

"So I basically your prisoner. A weapon you can use to your advantage."

Nihlus' eyes became wide and then he poured a glass of human whiskey for her.

"Let's just call this a partnership." Jane took the glass. "I just hope you contain some of the good judgment you used to have."

Jane gulped down her drink and set down her glass.

"I have a way of disappointing. Don't expect much. I'll help you bring down Saren but after that don't expect me to stick around to be the Council's puppet. I've learned my lesson." She poured herself more whiskey. "You can't trust anyone."

She again gulped down her drink and looked to him.

"Where would you like me to bunk for the rest of the mission?"

"I was actually hoping you'd stay here." He made a move towards her. "Not everything I did was for show."

Jane internally smiled but pushed herself away from him.

"I think about it."

"I'm not forcing you." Responded Nihlus.

Jane made her way back up the stairs to grab her omnitool.

"I have just have one request." Jane suddenly spoke.

"And what's that?" Asked Nihlus.

"Leave my men out of this." She spat.

Nihlus nodded and smirked as she left his cabin. Little did Jane realize that she was still the Commander Shepard she used to be.


	19. Chapter 19

**PART 1:**

Jane walked as fast as she could, out of Nihlus' cabin. Separating her dreams from reality was something she was now struggling with. She had wanted this for years, for everything to go back to what it was. A dream to be Commander and to be herself again, but she would never tell you this if you asked her. Riding the elevator down to the engineering deck did not leave her much time to collect herself and become the alter-ego that had got her this far. As the doors opened she was met by nothing, this settled her nerves as the thought of having to talk to someone now made her feel sick. Two steps down the hall and through the door on her left, she slowly crept down into the lower cargo area. Metal pipes and obsessive wiring were her only company. She sat on the ground, curling into a ball. For the second time in one day she couldn't breath. Tears threatened to burst but she did not let them, she held on to them until she steadied her rapidly moving chest. She had to get herself together and let Vega know about the situation, it was baffling to think of the knowledge Nihlus had, how had he known? She was so careful. Years and years of running and not being able to use her real name, years and years of dirty work she could have saved herself from. For six months she had been with Nihlus, so much time wasted. He could have just revealed his findings and together they could have brought Saren down by now. That was the way her life was to be now, wasn't it? She would be told what to do, where to go, how to do this and that. Even though she had regained her identity, she did not regain the control she had before, or the respect. As far as she knew, everyone in the galaxy still thought her to be in prison, serving for crimes she did not commit. Thousands of people still hated her, millions ready to shoot her down on sight. The road a head of her was filled with bumps and pot holes, not to mention the growing gap to freedom at the end. Would she ever be seen as more as a weapon ever again? What about her men? The Council would probably hunt them down and alert the Alliance, they too would be dragged into the fate she now faced. New plans had to be made, she would help bring down Saren but she would not stick around to be shoved back into a cold cell. She would have to prove her accusations false, she would rather force a bullet through her temple than face what the Council had in store for her.

Jane uncurled herself and stretched, having a plan only she knew made her feel a hell of a lot better. Another messaged from Vega pinged on her omnitool, reminding her of all the shit she had to tell him.

…...

Garrus stood on the crew deck, angry voices shouting all around him. His own thoughts seemed to overpower them, so all he heard was continuous mumbles. He had told the rest of the crew about Shepard, none of them happy about it. They too shared the same opinion as he had, the woman deserved death before she was allowed to fly free. On top of that, the mention of her also being given spectre status again, really fire things up. They all shouted back and forth to each other and at him. As Nihlus exited the elevator he was greeted by the chaos, and Garrus stood in the middle of it. When he told his XO to inform the crew, he did not expect this reaction. No one had noticed his presence as he stood watching, finally he brought his talons to his mouth and let go a long, loud whistle. All attention then turned to him and the shouting started again.

"How could you let her on your ship?!" Shouted one.

"I will not work with such filth." Yelled another.

Having enough of the nonsense, Nihlus dragged a chair from one of the lunch tables, to the center of it all, near Garrus. He stood on it.

"I know none of you are happy with this decision but we have a mission. A mission to stop Saren and Shepard can help us do that."

The yelling again started up but Nihlus lifted a hand to stop it.

"She has been living on this ship for months, you all had no problem with her before you learned her true identity. I know it's hard to look past the things she has done but for the sake of the mission and for all those innocence that have been caught in Saren's path, please try to bunker down and deal with this situation. I promise she will face the repercussions when we reach our goal. Now all of you get back to work, I don't want to hear anymore controversy over this subject."

With some grumbles and glares the crew dispersed, all going back to their stations. Garrus and Joker were the only two to linger.

"Shouldn't you be flying the ship Joker?" Asked Nihlus.

"I have a copilot for a reason." He answered before moving to make himself a cup of coffee.

Garrus leaned against a table, trapped in his thoughts. Nihlus came to sit next to him.

"Care to share?" He asked his friend.

Garrus looked to Nihlus and shrugged.

"They're just thoughts I've had the entire time she's been here."

Nihlus laughed.

"Alright. Let's be more specific."

Garrus sighed and brought a hand behind his head.

"I knew who she was the entire time too but I can't help but think about the crimes she's been accused of. Not once did she try to harm any of us." He then looked to his friend and fluttered his mandibles. "With the exception of you. My point is, how can someone who has been said to be so ruthless, care enough to stop Saren."

"That's easy. Judging on what you told us, she wants revenge." Joker butted in.

Garrus nodded.

"True but I've seen her in action. If she really wanted him dead, he would be by now."

Nihlus cleared his throat beside him.

"The disguise she was using probably made that difficult to do. She didn't have the clearance and resources we have now." Stated Nihlus. "Hence why she probably didn't fight the idea of being in our company."

Joker came to stand in front of the two turians.

"Look, all I've got say about all this is that she doesn't seem to be that bad of a person. If she can handle my sarcasm without killing me, that's saying something."

Joker than moved back towards the helm of the ship, leaving the two alone. Garrus tipped his head to the side as he thought.

"There's got to be more to his story. If Jane really does want revenge, why? What did Saren do to her?"

"They were lovers." Nihlus shifted in his seat and crossed his arms. "I remember seeing the two together a lot outside of duty. Saren would often invite me out with the two of them, I'm surprised she didn't recognize me that night at the bar."

"What night at the bar?" Grinned Garrus.

"I'll save that story for another time but for now, I need you to do more research." Nihlus stood.

"I've already seen everything on her. What more do you want?"Asked Garrus.

"You've seen what they wanted you to. Talk to her. You've had detective training, patch something together."

"Why do you want to help her so badly?" Asked Garrus confused.

Nihlus turned to his friend.

"I was the one that put her name in for a spectre candidacy. The things she was accused of are out of her character, something happened. I don't have the time to figure it out, so I need you to."

Garrus nodded in awe as his friend walked away. He never realized the amount of secrets his friend hadn't told him, the reason Shepard became the first human spectre being one of them. He sat back and thought about their relationship, maybe that's why Nihlus was so crazy for Jane. He must have had one big crush on the Commander. Garrus laughed and walked towards the main battery, it had been a long ass day.

…...

"Oh come on Shep you gotta let me on that ship!" Vega pleaded.

Jane sat back against the metal wall of the engineering deck.

"I need you to stay back and run the company. I won't be able to do anything from here." She sighed.

Vega looked back at her with big eyes.

"You always get to have all the fun." He whined.

Jane laughed and looked around her environment.

"I wouldn't exactly call my position fun, you want to come be the Councils lap dog?"

"Ah see always got to be a pessimist." Vega shifted in front of the camera. "Anyway thanks for the heads up, I'll have everyone up their guard. Stay safe Commander."

"I'm not a commander anymore James." Stated Jane.

Vega nodded.

"Yeah, well someone as to give you the respect you deserve. We'll clear your name one day."

"Let me know when that happens and I'll buy you a beer." She laughed.

"Oh it's on Shep." He nodded as though her already won. "Vega out."

Jane shook her head and smirked, the kid was certainly full of himself. She dropped her hands to the floor and hoisted herself up with some resistance from aching body. For only being twenty two, she felt old. Being the head of a major corporation and now a reassigned spectre did not help her situation either. Her men also added to this feeling, she had to act as a mother to many of them, others just seemed to look up to her. Jane often hated that. Some would even go as far as calling her a living legend, but she felt as though she was the galaxy's biggest blunder. She should of stopped Saren during the Blitz, all those colonists would not be dead right now if she had just done her duty. Instead, her heart got ahead in the mission, then betrayed her when it had the opportunity.

Jane ran a hand through her hair, trying to shake the memories. For now she just had to focus on helping Nihlus. She started making her way out of the dark hold on engineering when she heard Tali and engineer Adams, talking back at their stations.

"Keelah I don't understand any of this." Stated Tali.

"All I know is that people need to give Shepard a chance. She's a damn hero regardless of what she was accused of." Replied Adams.

"Are you saying you think she's innocent." Asked Tali with confusion.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I remember when her whole case was being picked apart by the media, most of it made no sense. It was completely the polar opposite of what the Commander stood for. I think someone set her up."

"Didn't Garrus say that she was partnered with Saren? Maybe that's the answer." Stated Tali.

"Yeah maybe but when we finally catch up to Saren, I hope Nihlus doesn't give him enough time to answer. That man needs to answer for what he's done." Adams tone was laced with fury.

At that moment Jane decided to leave engineering before she got caught spying. Adam's words had brought some warmth back to her, he was a prime example of how some people may have some hope left in her. She was happy to hear that not everyone in the galaxy wanted her dead, even though after the request she was about to make, Nihlus might want her to be.

…...

Nihlus could not believe what the woman in front of him was asking. She was lucky to even be allowed on his ship and now she was making requests. He didn't care how badly his feelings for her wanted him to say yes, he would not allow thugs onto his ship.

"No."

"Really Kryik. You're going to act like this."

"Jane I said no. Stop asking."

"I'm not asking, I'm commanding."\

She crossed her arms in front of her.

"Do you realize how crazy you sound right now? What am I supposed to tell the Council when a krogan hit man and a shadow broker agent appear in my mission summaries? It's not going to happen." Ended Nihlus.

"You either allow people I trust on this ship or I'll just take over this mission without your consent."

Jane tone was definite, it made her hard to defy. Nihlus looked up from a data pad.

"Are you really threatening me?"

"You think I'm afraid of you and your handcuffs." Jane started to laugh then quickly stopped. "Now seriously, give me the clearance to allow them on board."

Nihlus sat in awe.

"I suggest you watch your tone and let this go." He began. "And I do carry more than a pair of handcuffs on me. The pistol on my hip isn't for show."

He then turned his attention back to the data pad in front of him. Jane clenched her jaw next to him and calmly walked to her desk on the bottom level of their cabin. She sat and began working on her terminal. Nihlus looked down at her from above, noticing her devious smirk.

"What are you doing?" He asked her cautiously.

Jane rolled her shoulders and did not answer. Nihlus pretended to focus back on the data pad. Jane's omnitool then began to glow, she was obviously running a bypass program.

"And what are you trying to do now?" Asked Nihlus as he stood to make his way towards her.

Jane lifted a finger at him and then closed her omnitool.

"Well thanks to my little gadget here, I now have access to the entire ship. Including shuttle clearance. Liara and Wrex will be here shortly, I should go meet them."

She walked straight up to Nihlus and placed a kiss on his mandible before exiting the cabin. He now had to think of ways to calm the crew once more, it was not going to be easy. Then there was the Council. Nihlus ran a hand over his fringe and sighed. Maybe he just wouldn't tell them.

…...

Garrus would never get used to the lumbering mass that watched him as he worked on the Mako. Having a krogan aboard the Normandy made him uneasy, knowing he was one of Shepard's men, made him keep a pistol on him at all times. Wrex had showed no signs of aggression so far, well no more than a usual krogan would, but still Garrus knew how this guy worked. He had seen him in C-Sec custody more than once on the Citadel, now he knew why. Shepard must have sent him out more than once to do her dirty work, he shuttered as he thought of all the people he must have killed for her.

Garrus once again glanced behind him to confirm the krogan's position.

"Hey turian. Why don't you stop glancing at me and just come over here?" Shouted Wrex from acrossed the room.

Garrus jumped at the man's booming baritone but did not answer the krogan.

"That's what I thought. A coward, just like the rest of your kind." He laughed.

"What did you say?" Garrus turned slowly towards Wrex.

"You heard me. Your race has no quads, the same can go for yourself." Spat Wrex.

Garrus lurked towards him.

"I'm not afraid of criminals like you. Talk all you want."

Wrex again laughed.

"You're so naive turian. You should just walk away while you have the chance."

Garrus stood his ground.

"Where do you get all this fire from? Something Shepard spoon fed you?"

"Shepard? Ha Shepard has nothing to do with this. Your history your biggest enemy." Replied Wrex.

"Ah so your getting all this from the what my race did during the Krogan Rebellions. You should understand that what we did was your own fault."

Wrex furrowed his brow.

"Our fault?! My race wanted freedom for the turians and salarians! We no longer wanted to be treated as slaves to your people. Especially after the genophage was released."

"Don't get me started on the genophage." If only Garrus could roll his eyes.

Wrex turned his attention away from him.

"Like I said, naive."

Garrus turned and walked back towards the Mako. Shepard was going to make this place into a shit hole.

…...

Nihlus hated to admit it but Shepard's asari was actually very productive. Not only did she settle in quickly after becoming quick friends with Chakwas but she also provided the team with valuable information that would give them an edge against Saren. Now if only he could get Jane to stop giving him that conceded grin every time they saw each other. She knew her decision to bring them aboard was the right one, and now so did he. Although they had visited planet after planet while tracking down the rouge spectre, they had yet to find any hint as to what his next attack would be. Whenever they reached the area of a suspected base, it had already been destroyed. Jane seemed to get unusually irritated when all they found was rubble, something he would ask her about later.

After finally landing, Nihlus and Garrus stepped off the shuttle inside the Normandy's hanger. They had once again been lured into a trap by Saren's goons, Nihlus was not in the mood to deal with any more bullshit for the day. Jane hung back, still inside the shuttle, she sat analyzing Saren's tactics. He seemed to be attacking every planet with one of her posts on it, obviously he was looking for the reaper info she had gathered throughout the years. She knew he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted, leading her to the conclusion that they needed to get one step ahead of the crazed man or risk loosing the ground they had made up. Jane stood and finally left, getting a relieved sigh from the shuttle's mechanic.

Garrus watched Jane finally leave the shuttle. He and Nihlus had already dismantled their armor and oiled their guns by the time she left. She moved through the shuttle bay as though she was still on a mission, maybe she was on to something. With all the searching of planets and analyzing data each of them had done in past few weeks, left him little time to search for more on the Commander. Not that he was complaining, he'd choose field work or an office job any day, he needed the constant adrenaline rush.

Beside him Nihlus seemed to notice Jane to after he looked up from his newly, polished rifle. He gave a low laugh before setting it in his locker.

"I 'm glad to see she's taking this mission seriously now. I was afraid she wouldn't accept my offer." He grinned.

Garrus looked to Wrex, who was talking to one of the mechanics working on the shuttle.

"Yeah. Bringing that krogan aboard really sealed the deal." He then set his gun down on the work bench. "I'll never understand why you let her make such a decision."

Nihlus gave grunt and turned to his friend.

"It's not like I said yes to her demands. She gave them clearance to come aboard herself."

Garrus shook his head.

"You too much like your father Vakarian." Spoke Nihlus.

Garrus looked to his friend in shock.

"I am nothing like him."

Nihlus raised his brow plates and gave a smirk.

"OK. Your father is the type of turian that thinks of his opinion and only his, as the right one. Are you telling me that doesn't remind you a someone?"

"I never said my-"

"Just admit that I'm right so we can end this argument here" Interrupted Nihlus.

…...

Liara was in engrossed in a delightful conversation with Doctor Chakwas when Shepard came barging her way through the medbay.

"Liara, I need you to check our standings on Noveria." She demanded.

Liara gave the doctor a apologetic smile and turned to Shepard.

"It's so nice to see you too." She stood and made her way to the little room in the back. "I've checked in with every one of our look outs. I don't see the need to-"

"Just do it." Jane through at her.

"Someone's pushy today." She glared at her terminal screen, bringing up Noveria's stats. "See nothing out of the ordinary."

Just then she noticed an irregular blip in the readings.

"Wait a sec. Did Vega have a shipment sent to our facility their?"

"Not that I know of. He didn't peak to me about any shipments."

Liara's eyes grew wide as she began to search other sources.

"Look!" She shouted. "The Council just sent a message to all of their spectres. Something about a possible geth siting on the planet."

"Then I guess that's our next destination. Send the coordinates to Joker, I'll inform Nihlus."

"Right away Shepard." Replied the asari as she typed away.

…...

"I just got the Council's message Joker, how did you know we'd be going to Noveria?" Asked Nihlus.

"It was a message sent from you address Captain. I thought it was you who gave the command."

"Well it wasn't me, that means we have a bug in our systems."

Jane came up behind Nihlus and started making a buzzing sound. Nihlus jumped in her direction.

"What on earth are you doing?!"

"I'm your bug." She laughed.

Nihlus gave her a long glare.

"Care to explain how you got back into our system? After our engineers just got done rewriting our security interface."

"A girl never gives away her secrets. She laughed again and leaned into him.

"I'm guessing I'll have to have a chat with Liara." Nihlus breathed.

He then grabbed Jane and pulled her into an embrace.

"I guess I'll also have to keep a closer watch on you."

Jane let him finish before pulling away, she never was into public shows of affection.

"If you don't mind, I have another request."

Nihlus shook his head.

"You've already tested your boundaries, your not a free woman. Remember that."

Jane grimaced.

"It's not just for me, it'll help you too."

Nihlus watched her for a second before giving in.

"Ah what is it?"

"I'd like to contact someone within Alliance command."

"I don't think that would be a very good idea, they might just hunt us down to find you." He laughed.

"You won't have to worry about that. I want to contact David Anderson, he's an old friend of mine. He wouldn't say a thing to the admirals." She stated matter of factly.

Nihlus nodded.

"Fine. I'll have Kelly set up an encrypted terminal for you"

Shepard could hardly hold back her contentedness.

"But" Nihlus added. "I want to be there when you talk to him. No funny business."

Jane tipped her head back and sighed. There was always a catch.

…...

They arrived on Noveria with a less than humble welcome. First they had been met by armed guards and pointed guns, one glimpse at Shepard ended that. How dare they point a barrel at the owner of the NDC. Though that wasn't the only problem they faced, many of the people they passed on the small base would often whisper at each other or even shout at them to 'keep moving if they knew what was good for them'.

Jane always hated having to make business trips to the cold, rocky world as there was never a day it didn't snow. She really did loath the cold and apparently Garrus shared the same opinion, as he would curse almost silently to himself every time they stepped outside. Nihlus on the other hand could care less and kept pushing forward with the mission in mind. After talking to some of the people on base, he then became very interested in the supposed hot labs that were stationed throughout the world. Jane on the other hand could be less than amused since, it was _her_ hot labs that he was so interested about. Her facilities were made to research things that were far too dangerous to poke at elsewhere. Technically, Noveria wasn't part of Citadel space, making it more than easy to escape the Council's laws. So far that little perk had kept her off the radar, until she agreed to let Spectres visit to calm suspicion, what a death sentence that was.

Just as another civilian sent them another glare and Jane was about to let out another bored sigh, Nihlus' omnitool was pinged. A supposed Gianna Parasini wanted to speak to him, along with the Administrator. Great, more boring shit to sit through. They made their way back towards the docks and through a large set of doors where they were greeted by Miss Parasini. Jane recognized her right away, the bitch had been undercover on her base for years, investigating her. The woman had suspicions on that she wasn't who she said she was, indeed Parasini was correct but that didn't stop Jane from giving her the run around.

The dark haired woman began to stare at Jane as she spoke to the two turians. Obviously knowing who she was. She began to turn to Shepard when Anoleis demanded her presence over the intercom. She gave each of them a sorry nod and walked to the back where the Administrator's office stood. A few minutes later she returned and continued answering Nihlus' questions. Parasini gave him basic info on the facility but faltered when it came to telling him about leaving Port Hanshan, Shepard huffed as she hadn't realized the small facility had been named. Then came the topic of Matriarch Benezia, who weirdly enough, was staying on Noveria. She would message Liara as soon as they finished the small, unneeded meeting they were all sharing.

Finally after the so called assistant bid them a short goodbye, Nihlus was then again off and ready to continue the mission. The man was seriously no fun while her worked. Somehow, Jane had missed the part of the conversation that lead Nihlus on the hunt for a garage pass to leave the port. She could of easily used her own but instead let him run around in attempt to find one, just for fun as it was in short supply. Nihlus continued forward, talking to Garrus as she stayed silent, finally they reached the port's bar. Jane's eyes brightened as they entered, she could really use a drink, her spectre must be able to read minds. As they headed forward again, Jane turned towards the bar only to be left alone as the two turians made a b-line towards an all too familiar Lorik Qui'in. They had their fair share of sexual encounters with each other, hopefully he did find a need to bring them up. Already in a middle of a deal, Nihlus turned his head towards Jane when she finally joined the rest of the team. Lorik's head too, snapped towards her. He opened his mouth to say something only to be stopped by a quick but apparent hand, he understood the hint with a nod and continued his talk with Nihlus.

"Look here spectre, I do have a pass for you but like I said, it's not free." He continued.

Lorik again looked to Jane with slitted eyes, wonder why she didn't just use her own.

"There's no other way to get that pass?" Nihlus prodded the other turian.

"I need that evidence to bring Anoleis down, get it or no deal."

Nihlus looked to Garrus getting a reassuring mandible twitch from his friend.

"Fine Qui'in, give me the details."

…...

The bloody ERCS guards that had been hired (under the nose of Shepard to be clear) ran off as soon as they seen her N7 armor, getting her two turian smiles from her teammates.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." Smirked Garrus.

"What bad side?" Nihlus then added with a flirtatious growl.

Jane brushed it off, she knew what most of the people around there thought of her. While the two boys joked with each other, she pushed ahead. Up the stairs and across a catwalk and Shepard had already grabbed the info they needed by the time the two made it to her position.

"Maybe I should just put you in charge." Nihlus again joked while Garrus gave him an irritated glance, he would never follow that woman.

On her way out, Jane immediately noticed one of the woman who had stopped the back at the docks, Kaira Stirling. More ERCS guards followed her as she made her way closer to Shepard.

"Well look what the cat dragged in." She drew out. "The cold blooded killer herself. Not letting your men do the dirty work anymore Shepard?" She then continued without waiting for an answer. "We recognized you before your friend here." She motioned towards Nihlus. "Couldn't believe it was actually you. For a woman that owns most of the planet, you rarely visit."

Behind Jane, Nihlus listened intently. He had no idea how big her grasps had reached sense her escape from prison.

"A murder like you deserves the same fate as all those colonists you let die." Continued Stirling. "You know my sister was one of them." She began to pull up her pistol aiming it at Jane's head.

Jane clenched her jaw in front of the blonde, trying not to show the pain her words brought.

"I know it's hard to let it go Karia but no one has to die today. Put the gun down and let us go." Jane finally got out.

Stirling looked at the barrel of her gun, not dropping it.

"Oh that's where you're wrong Shepard. Only one person is dying today and that's you."

Suddenly, Jane moved away from the end of the gun's barrel grabbing at the same time. Now weaponless, Stirling began to order the guards behind her all while Garrus and Nihlus had already started their assault. Jane jumped into the limited cover she had, waiting for her shields to recover. A biotic then shot a push at her from across the room making her stumble backwards before she cloaked and got herself into a sniping position. Nihlus then took over, as he pushed forward with Garrus, leaving Jane behind. In the back of her mind, Jane pointed out twenty different strategic errors he had just made, something she would maybe tell him later if she was feeling generous.

Shepard quickly found Karia's head in her sights letting a shot go, her head splattering into pieces. With her eyes closed, Jane fell back into cover. One by one she picked off the guards who had their shield depleted by the rest of her team. Once the upper level was cleared, the two turians made their way down to the main level while Jane sniped from cover above. It wasn't much of a challenge, the rest of the guards were cleared out quickly. As Jane made her way down towards the elevator to meet with her team, one of the guards she stepped over still laid alive, suffering on the edge of death. She dropped to the floor and put a hand over the man's face until his chest stopped rising.

…...

From across the room, Garrus watched Jane as she leaned into one of the guards they thought to be dead on the floor. She took the time to make sure the man didn't suffer more than he had to and then continued to check the rest of the bodies that laid of the floor. Nihlus had even joined in, wrapping an arm around Jane after they had finished. With his mouth agape, Garrus stood in front of the elevator, not letting the two pass.

"Why did you do that?" He asked towards Jane.

She looked at him with disappointment and then irritation.

"Would you rather have them suffer?" She fired back.

He shook his head.

"But why of all people, do you care?"

Nihlus let his arm drop from her.

"That's enough Garrus." He demanded.

He ignored his friend and pushed on.

"What about the little fact that you own Noveria?! When were you going to let us know?"

Jane closed her eyes trying to stifle her anger.

"There are many things you do not need to know. I'm here to help you stop Saren, my business outside this mission is none of you concern." She spoke calmly.

Nihlus stepped forward and moved his friend out of the way.

"You're just going to let her get away with this?!" Shouted Garrus and he stepped backwards.

Nihlus shrugged and stepped inside the elevator.

"What can I say? All her words are true. It has nothing to do with this mission."

Of course Nihlus took her side, Jane had her hooks in him deep.

…...

They had given the evidence to Lorik but not before Gianna Parasini had flagged them down and offered them another deal. So in the end, Jane finally got her drink, Nihlus got his pass, the Administrator was arrested after Qui'in brought the evidence to the Executor Board and Parasini owed them all a beer. All in all they had been pretty successful for only being there a day. Now each of them rested back aboard the Normandy, all of them except Shepard, who had made her way to the medbay in order to have a talk with Liara about her mother.

As soon as she walked through the doors to Liara's small room, the asari knew something was up.

"Shepard what's wrong?" She immediately questioned.

Jane sat in one of the empty chairs, bringing her head to rest of it's back.

"Nothing has to be wrong for me to have a chat with my friends." She replied back, her eyes closed.

Liara sat up in her chair a bit.

"What's usual about this entire situation is that I'm the one that usually comes to you."

Jane opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling.

"Liara. Tell me about your mother." She not so subtly changed the subject.

"Ah see, avoiding my prodding. I knew I was right." Liara grinned in victory.

"Yeah, yeah. Just do what I asked." Jane said with an eyes roll before she again closed them.

"My mother." Liara began. "My mother was a very professional being but never when I was around." A smile began to play on the asari's face. "She would always take me on walks through these gardens on Thessia, I've now forgotten the name of them. Much to my dismay."

Shepard had since then sat up and rested her arms along her thighs. Then Liara continued.

"She often told me that the world was much more than what we all think and that if I put my mind to it, I could accomplish anything." Liara stood from her chair and began walking back and forth, through the room. "My mother found it a privilege to be a mother and held nothing back to show me that she loved me." Tears began to form in her eyes. "Sadly, we have not talked in years. She didn't approve much of my choice of career, let alone working for you."

Shepard nodded in response, of course someone as powerful as the Matriarch would know who she really was all along. Suddenly, Liara turned to her.

"Why are you interested in my personal life all of a sudden?"

Shepard had never been good at giving bad news, even when most of her life was filled with it. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Your mother is on Noveria and it's suspected that she's working with Saren." Jane looked up to the asari, who had gone still.

"My mother. Goddess no." Liara finally got out.

Jane stood and put a reassuring hand on the girl.

"I wanted to tell you before we took any action, since she did bring activated geth to the port."

"She did what?!" Liara blurted out before hyperventilating. "Shepard you have to let me go with you." She got out between gasps.

Jane nodded and patted the girl's back before calling in Chakwas.

"Don't worry Liara, we'll find out why she's done this. I don't want it to end in another death."

Liara gave her a sad nod as Chakwas helped her to a medical table. Jane shook her head as she left the area, no matter where she went, terrible things always followed her.

…...

That night Jane stood under a scorching shower as she tried to rid the thoughts from her mind with pain. She was proud of herself for doing so as most other times she turned to a blade for comfort, not one of her better moments. Nihlus hadn't returned to their cabin yet and she didn't expect him to until late, due to the paperwork and calls he had to make to the council. She hoped he would that someday he wouldn't act as their lapdog like he did now. She sighed and began soaping up her body for the second time, the clock on the other wall had notified her that an hour had already passed, much to her disappointment. Nihlus would be angry with her if she used up all the hot water. After rising herself, she shot off the water and made her way to the sink, reaching for her coconut scented lotion. It was one of her biggest pleasantries, anything coconut made her swoon.

She had just finished applying lotion to her right leg when Nihlus enter the cabin, the swoosh of the doors making a noise behind him. He was mumbling something to himself, Jane could hear him through the door. He obviously didn't know she was in the bathroom. Four long patters signaled that he headed down the small stairs and a thump was heard shortly after. Jane giggled to herself, Noveria was not the easiest place to handle, it must have tired the poor guy out. A truly sinister thought then popped into her mind; why not have a little fun before they continued to scout around the icy plant tomorrow. She look at herself in the mirror above the sink as she dabbed on a bit of lip gloss. Oh Nihlus was going to owe her big time after this.

Leaving the bathroom in nothing but her birthday suite, she patted her way across the cold metal floor towards Nihlus. She was met by a most disappointing sight, the turian had already fallen asleep and now let out barely noticeable breaths. Jane threw her head back and swore under her breath before crawling over top of him. Still he didn't wake. She then began to place small kisses along his jaw and mandibles, getting only sleepy twitches in return. She sat up again and huffed, until another idea came to mind. She began by straddling his hips between her legs before bringing her hand under his waistband. Jane inched her hand down until she reached her planned destination; his large member. With only a few strokes of her fingers, it began to harden, Nihlus even let out a satisfied moan in his sleep. She smiled to herself as she then grabbed it with her hand, pumping up and down until it reached maximum hardness. Just as precum began to seep it's way out of him, he awoke. Half open eyes found there way to Jane's naked form, liking what they saw. With a growl, Nihlus grabbed her hands and began licking her fingers, moving his way up her arm. Jane leaned into him, pushing her breasts into his face at which he joyfully turned his attention to. His tongue wound its way over her nipples, making them perk up. Moans left Jane's mouth as he fondled her. She then grabbed his chin, taking control, as she kissed him deep before adding tongue. With a laugh he accepted her offer, his hands settling on her hips. Under her, Nihlus' cock rubbed against her thigh, she ached to have him inside her. As if reading her mind, Nihlus flipped them both, pinning her under him. Grabbing himself, he began teasing her with the tip of his cock, letting it poke her core ever so often. Jane let out a frustrated moan and dove inside her, both of them grunting in pleasure. He thrust into not even thinking of being gentle, she met his thrusts with her own, both enjoying their joining. Nihlus could feel himself slipping towards the edge, just one more thrust-

"Sir, we have an urgent call from one of our scouts on Noveria." Voiced Joker of the ships intercom.

Nihlus halted all action.

"You couldn't tell me this by messaging my omnitool?" She replied irritated.

Jane squeaked beneath him, as she too was on the brink of release. Nihlus again thrust into her.

"I did message your omnitool sir, half an hour ago. I didn't get an answer and this is important."

Nihlus kept pounding Jane while trying to answer.

"I- uh-just. Fuck. Joker just tell me – uh- what they said!" He shouted out.

"Uh. Sure Captain. " Joker replied with some hesitancy. "You know I can just send you the info, It sound like your bus-"

"For spirits sake just tell me!" Nihlus shouted impatiently, again on the brink of an orgasm.

"Alright. The scouts said that one of the workers went into the garage area of the port to grab one of the guest's cars when geth started firing on him. It's says the whole garage area of the port has been taken under siege."

Nihlus roared out in delight as he orgasmed, Jane following close behind.

"Tell the scouts we'll be there in twenty." Replied Nihlus breathless. "And Joker." He continued. "Never contact me at this hour over the intercom again. I don't wish to cast my sex life across this ship."

With a bit of awkward silence Joker answered "Noted Sir." Before Jane and Nihlus were left to bubbling of the fish tank once more. Jane reached up and planted a kiss on Nihlus' cheek.

"I think Joker just won a bet against you." She giggled as he rolled off of her.

"Remind me to apprehend the winnings when we get back." Replied Nihlus.

_**Hey guys. I just wanted to make it clear how much I appreciate all of you who follow and favorite Reckless. When I started this project, I wasn't sure how successful it would be, let's just say I am more than happy with what I have gotten. For this being my first fanfic I wasn't expecting a single follower. To have over 10 is amazeballs. I love you guys, thank you all. Don't forget to leave little reviews for me either. I'd like to hear what you all think.**_


	20. Chapter 20

**PART II:**

With Liara in tow, as Jane insisted she come, the two turians and Shepard arrived at the door that would lead them into the Garage area of Port Hanshan. The area had been closed off by the port's authorities, only allowing the four comrades to enter. After talking with one of the officer at the scene, Nihlus had learned that the geth inside had gone dormant and all firing had ceased. The officer also informed them that he and his team had made no attempt to interact with the machines, of course leaving the hard work for him and his team. After hearing enough excuses, Nihlus gave the signal to enter the Garage, they entered with Garrus on point. Nihlus took position next to Jane, she staying next to Liara. The asari may be smarter than most but she wasn't the most effective fighter.

Going deeper into the room the team was met by nothing. There wasn't even a sign of what had happened earlier, someone was obviously trying to catch them off guard. Shepard motioned for Liara to take cover while she made her up towards Garrus, choosing to stay behind, Nihlus took cover on the opposite side of the asari. They waited and watched Shepard do her work, she cloaked and made her way towards a bundle of crates just as a Geth Destroyer charged, sending her sprawling through the air. Without cover, Garrus was forced to fire a the machine while backpedaling. Nihlus on the other hand ran towards the thing, eager to get to Jane's side. From across the room she ward him off, giving him words of reassurance as she once again cloaked and went for higher ground. More geth piled there way towards the group of, now again three, on the bottom level. Liara did all she could, using mostly her biotics to get the job done, rarely did she pull the trigger. Above them, Jane had found cover and began sniping the lights from each geth that dared to invade the space of her travel partners. By the time she was done, Nihlus or Garrus would have ripped through their shields, leaving them more than vulnerable to her widow's unforgivable impact.

When all but two of the dreaded machines had been brought down, the door they had entered in the back of the room opened to show the port's officers coming through. They helped to finish the geth off, then with a thanks, they were left with the keys to a Mako that resided within the garage. To Garrus' and Liara's dismay, Jane snatched the keys from Nihlus' talons before he could even protest.

…...

This time Nihlus had joined Jane in the front of the Mako, leaving Garrus to man the gun. He began to work at rewiring the mapping on the car to synch to his omnitool's gps system. Jane drove ahead in the meantime.

"Not sure we even need this." Nihlus nodded towards his device. "You seem to know where you're going."

Jane shrugged but kept her eyes ahead of her.

"Well I do own the place. What particular area do you have in mind?" She sighed.

A few short beeps notified Nihlus that his synch was successful.

"Follow those coordinates, I'm, not sure if the place we need to go even exists." He then looked to Jane. "Unless you can solidify my assumptions."

Shepard stayed quiet waiting for his words, she wouldn't give up any information unless he asked.

"Tell me about Peak 15." States Nihlus.

Jane froze for a brief second, the Mako coming to a halt.

"What makes you so interested in that." She said while pressing on the gas.

Before Nihlus could answer, Jane had closed in a a tunnel, teeming with all sorts of geth and heavy fire power. Jane did her best to maneuver out of the way of any rockets and turret fire, but it was up to Garrus to put the hurt into their offensive. He did so effectively and before they knew it, the Mako was once again smoothly on its way with barely a scratch.

Just as daylight was once again to be seen, the glowing blue aura of a Geth Armature stood out against the white snow around it. Jane stopped the Mako immediately, jumping out of the driver seat to load some shells into the marauder systems of the vehicle. Liara helped by encasing them in a biotic wrap, sure to cut through the machine's armor. Two quick shots and cover fire from Garrus was enough to bring down the Armature and it's pals. The team continued on. Another geth infested tunnel and three more turrets later, Jane halted the Mako outside the Peak 15 facility.

Now was the time to come clean or now was the time to prepare lies for the journey ahead. How would she explain the study of the rachni that went on in this place or how this facility held reaper artifacts that had caused an indoctrination plague a year ago? The answer was she couldn't. So once again the hard shell mask was set upon her face as she exited the Mako, she just hoped Matriarch Benezia hadn't reached the queen yet.

…...

After fighting their way through yet another garage filled to the brim with a mix of krogans and geth, the team entered the facility's main door. A quick scan of the team made by the research center's VI allowed them access after a "Welcome Shepard" and a "Warning. Warning. This facility has sustained heavy damage. Recommend emergency evacuation." Jane trudged ahead, not sticking around to answer any question she could see Garrus preparing.

They made their way in and out of many security check points and scanners, all of them bypassed as soon as Jane was recognized. Before they knew it they had reached what looked to be a mess hall of some sorts, although now it was trashed. Out of no-where they were once again attacked by geth troopers, the damned things were everywhere. Once they had been taken care of, Jane began to move forward before Nihlus stopped her.

"Shhh. Listen!"

In the floor vents of the room, banging and insect like legs were heard.

"Shit!" Jane exclaimed. "Get back now and don't let them spit on you."

"Wha-" Garrus started before he was face to face with a rachni.

"Move, move, move." Jane shouted over the screams of the creatures. "Liara I need you to throw everything you've got at them."

The creatures, being vulnerable to physic based attacks, hovered in the air and were taken down by the rest of the team.

"So that's why the environmental controls are screwed up. The matriarch must have accidentally let the things go and then tried to kill them with the cold." Stated Garrus.

"Yes but the bloody things are smarter than they look." Said Jane. "Hence the reason they're hiding in the vents."

Another scream was heard as she stepped up the stairs towards the VI core. A third rachni jumped out at them, Liara making quick work of it.

"Good job." Jane breathed with her heart thrumming in her ears.

Nihlus gave her a quick glance to make sure she was alright, a reassuring nod from Jane made sure they continued forward.

In front of them, an elevator was their only way of continuing. Jane waited for them outside as the piled in.

"Where will this take us?" Asked Nihlus.

Jane huffed at some controls outside the door and then turned to him.

"It's going to take us to the VI core. I need to repair some of the systems so that I can get a grasp on what happened here."

Nihlus nodded as she joined them in the elevator shaft.

"Be ready everyone." Jane commanded. "Who knows what's waiting for us down there."

Each person of the group gave replied by readying their weapons, aiming towards the doors as they waited for them to open.

As the doors opened, a mob of rachni charged towards them. Jane quickly threw a charge into the clustered group and watched as their insides coated the walls of the room.

"Well that was easier then expected." Muttered Garrus behind her.

She gave him a short giggled in reply before moving towards the backup power system alongside the wall.

"Here." Jane motioned for Nihlus to hold her gun.

She bent down and began to fiddle with some wiring before the system sprang back to life.

" . LANDLINES AND REACTOR DISCONNECTED."

Jane let go and annoyed sigh before the group moved on to make their repairs.

…...

Each time they attempted to repair something, they were attacked. Rachni flooded the every area Jane dragged them to, the women had a knack for bad luck. Garrus watched her as she attempted to once again repair the VI core to full functionality. Going on her third attempt at reconnecting some lost connections, he could see the frustration building in her body. Tense shoulders, jaw clenched, lips tightened into an almost flat line, all the signs were there. It also helped that his visor gave him all the other information he couldn't conclude by just looking at her.

Looking at her would be the death of him. Each and every time he thought he had made his mind up about her, just a slight glance at her face would send his mind in a totally different direction. She didn't look like a cold blooded killer or a self righteous, power hungry spectre either, although that's what most thought she was. Garrus hadn't the time to talk to her in a few weeks one on one, maybe that's what he needed. Maybe after he could really make up his mind about her, he might even swallow his pride and accept her friendship but that was a long shot.

A victorious 'Yes!' erupted from Jane's mouth as the connection was finally repaired. Garrus would have to leave his thoughts for another time. He watched her roll her neck and shoulders as the tension once again left her body. She grinned at each of them and tilted her head to have them follow as she made her way down a tunnel that lead to a tram. Jane talked to the VI as she walked, the voice called Mira informed her of the rachni contamination throughout the facility. Before long, another elevator stood in there way Jane entered and waited for the rest to follow. Garrus tried to ignore the heat that bore it way through his armor after accidentally rubbing against Jane's arm.

…...

Nihlus was not a happy camper when the finally reached the secure labs Matriarch Benezia had locked herself in. When they finally reached the tram and made their way towards an area Jane kept calling 'Rift Station', they were once again met by guns pointing to their heads. Nihlus' instincts told him to just shoot and have them continue on but in this twisted scene, Jane was the voice of moral and reason while he was not. He quickly shook out of it, not knowing what came over himself. After zoning out he had realized Jane's conversation with Captain Ventralis had ceased and that his legs were moving almost by habit behind here. When had she taken control of this mission? Suddenly, rachni filled his senses with their dreaded smell and sound. The group of four and the stations guards quickly cut them down. He heard the captain give them his thanks before they were again moving. His body lurched forward once again as Nihlus was lost in his own mind. He rarely let himself become so vulnerable but with Jane around, it seemed to happen more and more often. Coming out of his cocoon of thoughts Nihlus realized they were heading backwards, away from the main mission.

"Where are you leading us? I thought you said the secure labs were the other way."

Jane tensed under his sudden words, he had been quite for awhile now.

"There's something I have to take care of first. You don't have to join me if you don't want to."

"That's not wha-" Nihlus stopped and re-thought his words. "I was simply curious as to why we were heading back the way we came."

Jane sucked in a long breath ahead of him.

"I was told the hot labs were a mess, I need to clean them up before the fucking rachni destroy more of my facility."

Nihlus nodded with her reply. For a woman who had lied most of her life, he saw right through this one. Of course she would say she worried about the facility when it was the people inside she cared most about.

…..

The hot labs had been an utter disaster. The guards she had hired to watch Peak 15 had been persuaded to work for Benezia and her goons, more death then was needed followed this discovery. Jane pinched the brim of her nose as they each stood outside the secure labs, only she and two other scientists had access to. How the hell was she supposed to explain to Nihlus that they had capture a rachni queen? Further more, how would she make it seem rational that they were using her eggs to study the creatures and make them stronger for her own use? He would send her off the the Council's grasps as soon as she told him.

He had been quiet all day, something she wasn't accustomed to. His eyes she was so used to seeing on her seemed to settle on one spot in front on him, unmoving. She knew what was happening as she too was used to being in that same state. An internal battle. Jane looked at the rest of her team. Garrus, looking as bored as ever and then Liara, who look as if she might hurl any second. The girl's mother was in there, a mother she hoped she wouldn't have to gun down. She sighed and prepared to open the doors, since when was she the strong one of the group? Wasn't it Nihlus who often hindered their inner demons?

With a wush of air the door opened to reveal Matriarch Benezia. She stood upon a platform in front of the controls to the containment cell that held the rachni queen. She seemed to be ignoring the group as they entered, leaving Liara to run forward and break the silence.

"Mother!" She screamed. "What in Gods name are you doing here?"

The Matriarch turned slowly, it seemed as though she didn't recognize her daughter at first.

"Liara?" She questioned before bringing a hand to her head. "Liara I-" Her words were cut off by her own gasp as pain spread through her body. Then as if it never happened she again stood and faced the group. "None of you understand his plan. I must see it through, even if that means your death."

Liara's mouth had fallen open from her mother's words.

"Mother, whose words are those? What are yo-"

"Silence!" She shouted over her. "Don't act so daft my dear. We both know she plans on stopping Saren from bringing the reapers forth. They must reach this galaxy, it is our destiny!"

The Matriarch pointed to Jane through her entire speech, death written in her stare. Out of nowhere, asari commandos engulfed them. Before Jane could react herself and the two turians were hit with a stasis and suspended in thin air.

"Mother no! Please don't do this. You're indoctrinated, Saren's using your mind."

Liara began to walk towards her mother.

"Stay back!" Benezia shouted, throwing Liara into the wall behind her.

Liara's distraction had allowed the other three in the group to find cover. The group of three took turns taking out each of the commandos, while the dodged and evaded their biotic attacks. Finally, as Jane turned to take out yet another commando, she noticed the Matriarch's shield was down.

"Focus your attacks on Benezia, I'm going to grab Liara!" She shouted to them. In that instant she cloaked and made her way to the limp asari on the other side of the room. She could hear the painful moans of Matriarch Benezia behind her and secretly hoped that Liara would stay knocked out until they got back to the Normandy. No daughter should have to witness their mother's death in such a way.

A biotic surge bounced off the walls around the room as Jane dragged Liara back to where the three had made cover.

"What the hell was that?!" Yelled Shepard as she made her way back to the turians.

"Her shields are back up!" Yelled Garrus. "Get ready for another wave."

Right on cure more asari commandos made their way into the room. Garrus did his best to take down their barriers before Jane would end them with a head shot. The two seemed to be the only one's present as Nihlus once again gave off a blank stare, his body reacting but his mind somewhere else. Next thing she knew, a bullet pierced her shoulder.

"Fuck!" Jane grimaced. "I didn't even notice my shields were down."

Garrus looked to her as he dropped back into cover.

"Are you alright?"

"Yea, I'll be- " Jane looked up to where the Matriarch stood, noticing a gigantic ball of biotic energy coming their way. "HOLY fuck Garrus move!" She again shouted.

Diving out of the way Jane dragged Liara away from the scene with her un-injured arm. Garrus had been knocked out from the blast and Nihlus sat near the door, dazed from what had happened. Shepard looked back towards Benezia, the woman on the brink of death and barriers down.

"Nihlus!" She shouted towards him but got no reply. "Kryik!" She tried again. Finally with a huff of annoyed air she sent a concussive shot his way. His eyes immediately met hers.

"Why are you fucking sitting there, shoot the Matriarch!" Jane commanded.

She watched his brow plates dip in pain as he noticed the blood leaking from her shoulder.

Nihlus shot up quickly charging towards the Matriarch. The woman sent a biotic throw his way at which he quickly dodged, getting closer to the asari, he drew out his omni blade. Jane was in the process of dragging Garrus back to where Liara lay when she her the grunt of Matriarch Benezia as the blade sliced through her stomach. Being careful not to move her shoulder more than necessary, she ran towards the sound to see Nihlus leaning the Matriarch against the near by wall. The woman was still alive.

"I-tell Liara I'm sorry." She gasped out. "I thought I could convince him to stop his ways but- ah." She gasped from the pain. "Saren has Sovereign. He took my mind, I can feel him trying to take it back. Death was the only way-" The asari's eyes went blank, death had taken her.

Jane dropped her head and turned towards the containment cell, the queen still inside. The creature seemed to look up at Jane in recognition.

"You!" The matriarch's body shouted behind her. "Your the one you stole our songs."

Jane looked to the queen in bewilderment.

"How are you doing that? She's dead."

The creature screamed inside it's cell.

"You words will go unanswered! You stole our songs, stole the children away! Used my body for your own dark heart!" It shouted at her.

…...

Nihlus was done with Noveria. Crazy asari was one thing, a mind controlling insect was going too far. He listened as the thing shouted at Jane, obviously it had some hatred for her. At the moment he didn't even feel like questioning the fact that Shepard even had a rachni queen in here facility, he simply didn't care. He wanted to leave, to get off this cold forsaken planet and into his bed. Yes, he sounded more like a pampered teenager than a well known spectre a the moment but he could care less.

He once again tuned into the pointless argument, Jane was having with the creature.

"Enough!" He finally shouted. "Shepard, let's move out. We came here to stop Benezia and that is done. Leave the creature be."

Jane looked to him, her mouth agape.

"You haven't done a damned think or said a damned word all day and now you think you can order me around!" She shouted back.

"Believe it or not I am in charge of this mission. The Normandy is my ship and it's under my authority that your not sitting in a jail cell right now. I think I have the utmost right to order you around."

Jane stared daggers into his head.

"Now." He continued. "Grab Liara and let's mov-"

The room began to quake. In the center of the room, the rachni queen was throwing herself against her the glass containment cell.

"Go get the other two out of here." Jane shouted as she ran towards the cell's controls. "I'll give you some time to get them out."

Nihlus look at her in shock.

"Jane, no. I'm not leaving you here to fight that thing alone. You're already injured."

He looked to her face that was already paling from blood loss. Jane glanced at him and shook her head, not wanting another argument.

"Fine." She gave in. "But at least get them outside the door."

Nihlus nodded and may his was towards the two unconscious bodies.

Deciding that releasing the creature would save them more time, Jane hurriedly tapped on the control panel. The rachni queen crashed through it's thin, glass prison as soon as it was lowered to the ground. She roared up and began climbing up the wall towards Jane, the woman scrambled to the ground, reaching for her gun. Shepard fired off a few incineration rounds before running towards the door out. The creature charged at her still, thrusting it's sharp legs towards her. Jane turned and scrambled for any cover she could find, throwing a charge at queen, hoping it would at least slow the thing down so she could escape. From behind the beast she could see Nihlus, as he too added to the attack on the creature. The queen spun around quickly, slamming into the wall next to itself. Alerts and automated containment measures began to activate around the room.

"CONTAMINATION PROCEDURES IN PROGRESS. ALL ORGANIC LIFE FORMS WILL BE ELIMINATED." The VI sounded over the chaos.

"What did that thing just say?!" Shouted Nihlus to Jane who was pinned in a corner.

She looked around trying to figure a way out.

"Nihlus, you need to leave!" She shouted. "Get out of here."

"I told you I wasn't leaving!" He glared at her.

"Now is not the time to argue with me." She yelled back. "Leave now."

Nihlus stood in his tracks, her commands were hard to refuse. Shaking his head he ran towards her, trying to act as distraction so that she had time to escape the corner she was trapped in.

"CONTAMINATION PROCEDURES WILL COMMENSE IN SEVEN MINUTES. ALL WORKERS PLEASE CLEAR THE AREA." The VI again sounded.

She felt a blast of heat from one of Nihlus' grenades and took the moment to run towards the door, the rachni queen used that moment to turn towards Nihlus, hitting Jane in the process. She plummeted down towards the lower level of the room before a large hand grabbed hers.

"Jane!" Garrus yelled. "You alright?"

She gave him a relieved smile.

"I'd be better if I wasn't dangling here."

Garrus heaved her up and pushed her towards the exit, Nihlus not far behind.

…...

Jane sat in the back of the Mako on their way back to Port Hanshan, the smell of smoke filled the vehicle. The entire facility had gone up in flames not even ten seconds after they walked out it's doors. She never got the time to save any of the data the researchers had gathered or to check if their were any survivors, the mission had been a major failure in her book.

Beside her, Liara wept into her hands as continuous prayers to her Goddesses left her mouth. Jane felt as if she should reach over and comfort the girl but other things continued to take priority in her head. She would be glad if she never seen Noveria again. When they said the planet was cold they meant it and it even extended to the people who lived there. Cold, merciless con men and criminals. In front of the two women, Garrus and Nihlus seemed to be in a great mood, as they joked and laughed about something that didn't even relate to the mission. The bastards. For a man who hadn't said much the entire day, he sure looked fine now. Jane would surely give him a piece of her mind once they got back to the Normandy.

Longer, drawn out cries again brought Shepard back to the present. Liara didn't deserve to see her mother in such a way but nothing else could be done, Saren had his hooks in her too deep. Jane reached out to to lay a reassuring hand on the asari's back, only to be met by rejection. A scowl overtook Jane's face, why must everything be so hard?

With a deep breath Jane tried to shake the impatient thoughts from her head.

"You alright over there Liara?" She finally spoke.

The entire space had now filled with silence as the two turians listened in. Liara kept her tears flowing, not acknowledging her captain.

"Come on kid, we need to talk about this?" Jane again prodded.

Liara's head shot up instantly, tears trailing down her chin.

"I will not talk about my mother's death around the one who killed her." She spat.

Jane's head turned to Nihlus, who now seemed engrossed in the Mako's controls. Garrus cleared his throat awkwardly before too, moving to look towards the controls. Shepard sighed, of course they would leave her to clean up the mess, again.

"Look Liara, it had to be done. You knew that something like that could happen when you decided to join us."

Liara had again leaned into her hands, letting soft sobs escape her lips. Jane nodded to thin air, obviously this talk wouldn't happen now.

"I respect that you need space but don't expect to get out of this talk once we've made it back to the ship." Jane continued.

She left the girl to herself before joining Garrus and Nihlus in the front of the Mako.

"Don't think you're getting out of it too." She spat towards Nihlus.

"I was doing what was needed of me." He countered.

"And I totally understand but you could've been there to console her afterward. I should have been the one to end here."

Garrus' confused face turned to her.

"What makes you say that?"

"Liara is my friend. She would have forgiven me much easier."

Behind them, Liara had fallen asleep against the wall of the vehicle.

"You have enough blood on your hands Jane, no need to add more." Nihlus added to the conversation.

Shepard shot an aggravated glare his way.

"Is that what all this is about?" She stood her face red. "Don't worry about the deaths I hold, they are none of your concern."

"None of my concern? I'm your captain. It's my duty to make sure my team is at its best." He then grabbed her hand from where he sat. "You also know how much I care for you. Just allow me to alleviate some of your suffering."

Jane ripped her hand from his grasp.

"Do you realize how crazy you sound? Alleviating my suffering?" Her face twisted into a scowl. "Whether you believe it or not, I've come to terms with the decisions I've made. The only suffering I've endured is knowing that I'll be forced back onto the Council's greedy hands when this whole thing is over. So don't give me a lecture on it being your duty to 'help' me. I'll help you take down Saren but don't expect anything else."

She then turned on her heels and made her way back to her seat next to Liara, who was now awake and wide eyed. Nihlus, still up in front, once again focusing on the controls of the Mako.

…...

Shepard decided to bunk in Liara's small room that night. The two women didn't share a single word that night, neither of them knowing what to say. Both faced their own problems, not finding the strength to confront them just yet. After setting down in her makeshift cot for sleep, Jane found herself in a deep sleep. It started out as peaceful, a kind of dreamless sleep with only a black void standing as company. Then things took a turn for the worse. Out of the darkness came the lights, his lights. Machine controlled breaths filled her ears, his demotic laugh following. He stood beside her in her old office on the Citadel. The smell of metal lingered around the room as well as a metallic taste taking over her mouth as she licked her lips. She was then on her knees, Saren lingering over her with his devilish grin. Liquid ran from her hands down to her elbows, where it dripped onto the floor. Under her Nihlus laid dead, his green eyes staring back into her own. The liquid on her then turned blue, at that moment she knew it's true identity. On the other side of the room, Garrus stood with his gun drawn. She could tell from the smell of a spent thermal clip that he had already let off a shot but where it hit was unknown until her own blood joined Nihlus' on the floor. She reached a blue stained hand to her face, where she found the source of her own drippings. Between her eyebrows was a crevice, one she could recognize as a bullet hole. She collapsed onto Nihlus' body as Saren stood above her laughing.

Her eyes shot open, revealing her of her reacquiring nightmare. He controlled her still, no matter the distance that lay between them. The due date of Saren's death got nearing with every nightmare she struggled through. Jane sat up on her cot and swung her legs to the side. She rubbed her palms into her eyes trying to rid the images of her nightmare from her memory. Pulling up her omnitool she sought out Garrus' name before typing out her quick message.

_You up? -S_

A second later.

_Yeah. Why are you? -G_

Jane thought out her reply before hesitantly typing.

_Got time to talk? -S_

It was a few minutes before she got her reply.

_I'm not sure why you're turning to me but sure. -G_

Jane bit her lip as she stood, pacing the room for a few minutes until her confidence returned to her. She then marched her way to though the empty mess hall and up to Garrus' door before let her knuckles made contact with the cold metal door. She let got three short rasps before letting her hand fall back to her side. The door's light quickly turned green and Jane was met by the back of Garrus' head.

"Thanks for letting me in." She mumbled lowly.

Garrus turned to her and gave a nod before standing awkwardly in front of her. Jane walked around him, finding a seat on a few piled up crates.

"So." She started, once again capturing the turian's attention.

"Why are you here?" Garrus shot out quickly.

"Well you did let me in." Shepard joked.

"Not what I meant." He glared,

Jane shifted upon the crates, her hands settling into her lap.

"You can't tell me you don't miss the daily talks we used to have." She again giggled out.

Garrus tilted his head to the side in curiousness.

"What?" Jane asked, her cheeks turning pink.

"Why do you do that?" The turian asked.

Jane's brows connected with confusion.

"Do what?"

"Why do you laugh to cover up your pain?"

"My pain?" Jane looked around the room to try and focus on something else than his eyes. " Garrus you sound like Nihlus now. What did you to eat in the past 24 hours?"

"See you did it again."

Garrus walked closer to her before changing to subject.

"You surprised me back on Noveria."

Jane looked into his baby blues.

"How so?"

"I never expected a murderer to be so. Merciful."

Jane tipped her head back in annoyance.

"If this is about those mercenaries again, I'm not about to explain myself a second time."

"No." Garrus quickly interjected. "It's not just that. They way you tried to right your wrongs in Peak 15, the chance you tried to give to the rachni queen, you trying to take the blame for the Matriarch's death. Those actions are not the one's I would expect out of a criminal. It makes me wonder-"

"Well you can stop the wondering." Jane cut in. "What's done is done Garrus. Think what you want about me, I could care less."

"I thought it would make you happy to have someone question what you were accused of." He stated with sincerity.

"You seem to change your mind a lot. I'm not going to hold my breath." Jane spat back.

"Tell me about it." Garrus demanded.

"Tell you about what?" Jane asked confused.

"Your past."

"What? No."

"Why not?"

"I'm not about to waste my time on someone who is settled on bringing me to prison the moment Saren in brought down. My answer is final."

"Then why come here and talk to me. Isn't this what you wanted? For me to hear you out?"

Jane bit her lip in silence. Why had she turned to him? Maybe she was hoping he'd give her another chance.

"How do I known you'll believe me?" She asked.

Garrus walked over towards her, grabbing his workbench to sit on.

"Because this time, I want to believe."

**Hey everyone, sorry I took so long to update. A busy life is a death sentence for an in-progress piece of writing. It took me awhile to get through this chapter and I have to admit it's not my favorite. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and keep a look out for part three before I move on to the ending scenes of ME1. Don't forget to let me know what you think, that review button is quite enticing isn't it? Love you all, thanks for reading:) **


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello everyone! Again I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I've just finished this chapter today and couldn't wait to post it. Thanks again for all the support you've all shown. Please keep sending your thoughts my way, they help me a ton. I'll try and post every two weeks from now as the ending chapters of this Fanfic get closer and closer. Thanks again - Jens**

She spoke and he listened, setting his own opinions aside. Working in C-Sec had some perks, it taught him to observe without bias and put the evidence together after. At the moment, that was Shepard's saving grace. Garrus didn't know why she had turned to him for consolidation, it probably had something to do with the domestic she had shared with Nihlus. Reasons aside, he had meant it when he said he wanted to believe her. She had proven herself to be something more than a criminal even before they had reached Noveria and now, he needed to hear her out, for his own peace of mind.

Jane had given him one of the funniest looking faces when he told her he wanted to know about her past, it took all of his self control not to laugh. Several emotions ran across her face, many of which he didn't recognize, before she let out a sigh and made her self comfortable. She started from the very beginning, telling him about her parents. They had been scientists back on Earth, she didn't know what they studied or whom they worked for, it wasn't really something a seven year old was interested in knowing. She then went on to explain their death, a gas explosion that had left her an orphan. She told that part of her story with such ease, Garrus was expecting a tear or two to shed but nothing came.

She then went on to tell him about her life in foster homes, listening to her recall this part of her life was harder to swallow. The home she had been sent to was an underground brothel, the supposed 'foster parents' sold the kids out nightly to any sick bastard that wanted them. Jane spared him the details of her accounts with such men, leaving Garrus' imagination to fill in the holes. His anger had almost gotten the better of him at that point, thank the spirits Jane moved on quickly to the later years of her life.

Her storyline then began to morph into something more familiar as she explained her life in street gangs and eventually her escape into Alliance ranks. She confirmed that she faked her age and entered the Marines at 16 but she wasn't the first to do so. Although Garrus already knew this part of her story he couldn't bare to stop her, a huge grin overtook her face as she told him about her times in Alliance boot camp and it seemed to him, that it was one of her happier times within her past.

Then came the part where she met Saren. Every time she mentioned his name she tensed, even her back had became ramrod straight. She wasn't as relaxed as she had been recalling her previous memories and Garrus had concluded that she was getting close to her breaking point. He offered to have her skip the part that included her now arch enemy but she shook her head and said it was too important for her to leave out. She then stood had seemed to try and stretch the tension from her body, none of it leaving. She continued into her spectre training, each of the candidates getting paired with a veteran spectre, she was given to Saren. She explained her training and how the two had quickly became close, Jane then went on to explain a Saren that sounded completely out of character. He was kind? Caring? He must have brainwashed her at some point. He expressed this to her and she laughed, telling him that he'd understand more once she continued. As she did, things did become clear. Saren had become indoctrinated, as he was now, and when Jane had finally pulled through and become a spectre, the Saren she had known before, was long gone.

As she continued to explain the missions that dipped into reaper investigations, Garrus understood more and more. Finally, once Jane got to the part where Saren betray her, Garrus decided he would never doubt the Commander again. Saren had been the one to kill all those colonists and used Jane as his escape goat. It made sense, she was a new spectre, it was easy to make up a story that she had gone rogue. Garrus stood and turned his back to Jane, leaning on the railing that surrounded the thanix cannon. Jane had stopped talking then and had once again found a seat upon the stacked crates.

"I know it's hard to believe coming from my mouth but you did ask for my story." Jane spoke.

Garrus turned to her and shook his head.

"That's not it. It is easy to believe, it's makes so much more sense then the shit I once thought was true." He then looked to the ceiling, again shaking his head. "Did you tell the Council this during your trail?"

"Of course I did. They were on his side Garrus. Nothing I could say would have saved me at that point, the Council had already made up their minds."

Garrus sat back on his bench in front of her.

"Saren's plan was packed tight, he knew they would choose his story over yours."

"Well duh!" Jane hissed. "I had just been made a Spectre, he had been in the program for years. There was no way I was going to make it out of that trail with my dignity in tacked." A sinister smirk then played on her face. " but that's when I began to make my own plan."

"I guessing your implying your escape from prison." Garrus added.

"Aren't you a clever one." Jane played. "But yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"So how'd you do it?" He asked.

"You think I'll tell you? Ha. This is where things get a bit-illegal. I think it'll be better for my case if I just leave off here."

Garrus' mandibles dropped from his face in disbelief.

"That's it then, you're gonna leave me wondering."

Jane looked to her omnitool and saw that it read 05:00.

"It's almost time for you to report to your duties anyway." Her face then softened. "Thanks for hearing me out Vakarian."

Garrus awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"I- well I needed to clear some things up in my own mind too." He then walk a few steps towards her. "And I don't know if this will mean anything to you but- there's one less turian that hates you in this galaxy now."

Jane laughed and turned to leave.

"That means more than you know."

Garrus heard her footsteps lead towards the medbay. He didn't regret letting her talk to him like he thought her would. Her story had filled gaps that he now didn't have to fill himself, in the back of his mind there was still a nagging sensation telling him not to trust her but most of his mind had been put to rest. He didn't know how many people were there for Jane anymore but he would try and help her. When this thing was over and they had brought Saren down, he would gladly stand in the Council chambers and defend her.

…...

She was able to sleep a full 8 hours after her talk with Garrus. She had told her story many times, so many times that she almost didn't feel an ounce of emotion anymore. Except when she had to re account her past with Saren. Her body would involuntarily seize up and tremble, she hated how weak he made her. Jane hadn't expected Garrus to listen, let alone accept what she had told him. It was baffling how bipolar he seemed to be at times but she herself was much like that. It wasn't something she had room to criticize him on. It almost seemed like everyone on the ship was in some sort of emotional downfall.

Nihlus wouldn't stop contacting Jane with apologies, at which she refused to answer. She couldn't help but like him more for his persistence, he cared for her and he wasn't afraid to show it. Many of her previous relationships, including her one with Saren, had been black market deals so to speak. Her relationships had always been very private and secretive, Nihlus had shown her the other side of the entire notion. She hated that. She hated that she was actually starting to care for him because she was afraid. When you begin to care for people, they become leverage for your enemies, Jane had learned this early on. So when Saren tore her world to shreds she decided to become cold. Be ruthless, and care for only one person, yourself.

Deep down inside there was still a part of her old self. Some of her old crew that had followed her to hell and back, still holds a deep place in her heart. Shepard would never forget Anderson, the man that taught her life was worth living. Innocence was also a be fault of hers, no innocence would be killed on her watch.

The wosh of the room's doors brought her out of her trance. In stepped Nihlus, a coffee mug in hand.

"I think you've ignored me long enough. I bring a peace offering." He nodded towards the mug. "The bed feels too empty without you."

Jane did all she could to hide the smile that threatened to break out across her face.

"I do miss those oversized pillows." She stood and took the mug from Nihlus', inhaling the steam that waved off it. "This is just what the doctor ordered." She said taking a sip of the drink.

Nihlus let of an awkward sniffle.

"So you uh slept well?"

Jane smiled, gripping the warm mug with both hands.

"Surprisingly, yes I did. Feels like forever since I've just slept." She twisted her back, trying to rid herself of some tightness. "Although I wish these cots didn't feel like rock when you lay on them."

"I'll get on solving that once we get Saren. Anyway, I'm gathering up Garrus so that we might discuss our next move. Meet us in the CIC in five."

Jane gave him a nod.

"I expect you'll be back in our quarters tonight. Right?" Asked Nihlus.

Jane made her way over to him, balancing on her tip toes, she placed a tender kiss on his mouth.

"You got it Kryik. Now get out, I need to get dressed."

"I've seen more of you than most. I don't th-"

"Ah ah ah. I said move soldier. Now march!" Jane cut in, bring a hand up to point towards the door.

Nihlus smirked and mock saluted her before leaving the room.

Shepard watched him leave, her smile fading. She felt like she was going to throw up from the feelings going on inside her body. She was in deep shit because she loved him.

…...

Garrus caught his friend leaving the medbay and waved him over. Nihlus looked as if he was on cloud nine, a turian grin making his mandibles stick out from his face.

"What are you on? Cause I want some." Joked Garrus.

Nihlus laughed in reply.

"I'm afraid my drug of choice is taken."

"I take it you and Shepard made up." Grinned Garrus.

Nihlus nodded.

"It was surprisingly easy too. I think I'm finally cracking that hard shell of hers."

Garrus followed Nihlus to the elevator before getting inside.

"It'll be a crazy day when we all get to see the Shepard behind the mask."

"If only you've had seen her when her guard is down Garrus. It's wonderful, I never knew I could feel such love for one person."

Garrus looked to his friend and said nothing. If only he knew.

"But I hardly think you flagged me down to talk about my love life. What is it that you needed?"

"I wanted to know if you've gotten any further in Saren's case. What's our next move?"

The two turians stepped off the elevator and onto the CIC.

"He's fled to somewhere on Virmire, his exact location is still unknown. Jane should be joining us any minute now, maybe she'll know something."

As one queue, Shepard stepped off the elevator. Garrus smiled at her, she was taken aback at first but returned the gesture.

"So glad you could finally join us." Played Nihlus.

Jane settled in front of him, hands on her hips.

"You're lucky I rushed, remind me to take my time next time you call a surprise meeting."

Nihlus let out a small laugh and nodded to his two companions to follow him towards the galaxy map.

"As I was telling Garrus, we've tracked Saren to the surface of Virmire. Shortly after, he picked up our drone's signature and shot it down. Now we have no idea as to where he went." He turned back towards Jane. "Do you have any ideas as to where he would've gone?"

Shepard stood quietly for a moment, running different ideas through her head. Of course she knew where he would be heading but it would be directly to one of her most precious of research centers. She swallowed as she realized she would have to make a sacrifice in order to bring Saren down.

"He'll be heading to a cloning facility right off the shore of the western hemisphere." She spoke. " I know how to get there but it won't be easy." She stepped around Nihlus to put her attention on the galaxy map. Bringing up a scan of the planet's surface, Jane continued by mapping out a course they could take. "We can use the rocks around the area as cover, hopefully we can make it to the main base without starting a firefight."

With Nihlus on her left and Garrus on her right, she continued to map out their course.

"We should definitely go in small teams. If we all go in together, there's no way we'll make it in undetected." Stated Garrus.

"Good call." Nodded Nihlus. "We need to play this card carefully. Who knows what'll be waiting for us down there."

As they ended their meeting, Jane prepared to explain her knowledge to the two turians. Nihlus was usually the one to leave things unquestioned but to Jane's surprise, Garrus walked away giving her a pat on the shoulder, without a single raised brow plate. Nihlus came over and snaked his hands around her waist once Garrus had left.

"I don't know how you got Garrus off your case but I'm glad you did." He brought his mouth down to tickle her neck with his breath. "Now I can focus on more important things."

Jane gentle pulled his arms from her waist and turned to face him.

"You should be focusing on Saren, not wooing me. I thought I already made it clear that you're stuck with me."

Nihlus brought his forehead to hers.

"Is that your way of telling me you love me?" He smirked.

Jane held her breath for a moment before letting it go.

"Maybe that's exactly what I'm saying."

Nihlus slowly brought his mouth to hers before kissing her. He brought his brought his hand up, tipping her head to the slide so that he could kiss her deeper. Jane added to the kiss, the two of them becoming quickly unshackled in the wide open CIC. A quiet clear of a throat made them cease their actions. The source of the sound was Liara, who now stood before both of them, her cheeks a deep purple.

"I don't mean to impose but I was hoping I could talk to Shepard." She spoke.

Jane looked to Nihlus with a shake of her head and moved from his grasps.

"What is it that you need?" She asked the asari.

Liara and cleared her throat and stood a little straighter.

"You had come to me a few weeks ago in hopes of me finding someone from Garrus' past. I've recently gotten a ping on the location the man you wanted to find. If you wish to find him, I suggest you go now."

Jane quickly made her way over to the asari and captured her in a hug.

"Thank you Liara." She released the girl, walking to one of the intercoms on the wall near the elevator. "Garrus meet me in the shuttle bay asap." She demanded.

After a few seconds, Garrus' confused reply flooded the silence of the ship.

…...

By the time Shepard made it to the shuttle bay, Garrus had ran thirty two situations through his head. Jane had not given him a single clue as to what was happening, surely they weren't planning on going to Virmire now. When she stepped off the elevator, he couldn't help but notice the smile that took up most of her face nor the utterly confused look Nihlus held a few strides behind her. Jane walked, more like jogged, over to Garrus near the shuttle before her mouth took control.

"I know that look Garrus but please trust me on this. It'll benefit you more than anyone in this room."

She continued by dressing herself in her armor. As the two turians watched her hurried actions dumbfounded.

"Shepard I am utterly lost right now. What's going on?" Garrus spoke with a supporting nod from Nihlus.

Jane stopped what she was doing before shaking her head.

"I probably should inform you two on what's going on." She laughed at herself before continuing. "I overheard a conversation you were having with Nihlus. You mentioned that the man you were trying to bring in got away. I had Liara look into and she found him Garrus. We're going to get Dr, Saleon."

Garrus looked as though he was going to faint. Nihlus put a hand on his friend's shoulder to steady him.

"I- How did you find him? I've been looking for years." He barely whispered.

Jane laughed.

"I have a particularity well-informed asari on my side, I can't really say more."

Garrus was at a loss for words.

"Shepard I don't know what to say. I don't really understand why you would go through all this trouble after all the indifference I showed you. Why? Why would you do this for me?"

Jane looked to the floor to hide the smile that threatened to show.

"Because whether you like it or not, I think of you as my friend Garrus. Friends are family to me, and we need a strong family to bring down Saren. I know how the past can hinder someone and I-" She looked to Nihlus who stared into her eyes fondly. "We need you at your best."

Garrus began to smirk.

"I've never seen the squishy side of you Shepard."

"Leave it to you to make me feel embarrassed for doing something good." Jane backhanded him playfully on the arm. "Now let's go before this turns into a gooey love fest. This will count as my good deed for the next few months."

They all entered the shuttle, Jane taking sitting in the pilot's chair. Coming up behind her, Nihlus cradled each side of her head before placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Thank you." He whispered into her ear.

Jane spun around to look at him.

"For what?' She asked, brow furrowed.

"For helping Garrus. He needed this more than you know."

"I'm glad I could help." She smiled gently. "But there's no need to thank me. I kind of owed him."

Nihlus look at her in questioning.

"I'll tell you someday." She giggled. "Now please, can we all stop being so dramatic? I feel like we're stuck in a bad soap opera."

She got two very confused set of eyes from her last choice of words.

…...

As they stepped onto the MSV Fedele, the happy go-lucky mood they had each shared before, was gone. In its place stood desperation, a need to clean up and finish what had been started. Garrus immediately took point, Jane and Nihlus submissively stepping out of control. The entry room had little to offer, as Garrus overlooked it and pushed ahead. Almost as soon as they stepped through the doors and into the main hold, creatures that looked like the thorian creepers they had face on Feros, attacked.

The team kept on the move, not letting the creatures and their acid spew, get close. Jane took to directing her overload on many of the explosive canisters that surrounded the room. Her tactic aided in saving Garrus' ass many times as he rushed on ahead. Shepard and Nihlus finished off the creatures before hearing shouts from another room. That's when they notice Garrus was no longer among them and had chosen to take on the doctor alone. Jane shared an annoyed glance with Nihlus before they sprinted off to fins him.

In a room to the right of the cockpit is where they found Garrus and his companion. Inside the doctor seemed to be frozen in fear as Garrus continued to scream at him.

"Stop acting like you don't remember! We all know what you did to those people!"

Dr. Saleon looked to the two who had just entered the room.

"Please!" He shouted. "Get this man away from me!"

Jane put a hand on Garrus' shoulder, offering him some solstice.

"Put the gun down."

Garrus turned to her in a flash.

"Are you kidding me?! You're protecting this man. I thought you knew what he did!"

Shepard let out an angered breath to keep her from lashing out at the enraged turian.

"I do know what he did and I gave you an order. Stand down Vakarian."

"There's no reason for me to comply. You've done worse than what I plan to do."

Jane clenched her jaw. There it was, there was the questioning Vakarian she knew. Before she could add into the shouting match, Nihlus cut in.

"You heard what she said Garrus. Put down your gun."

With bewildered eyes, his friend slowly brought his pistol to his side.

"Explain to me why I shouldn't just turn and shoot this guy down where he stands." He spoke towards Jane.

"You said yourself that you wanted to bring this man to justice. Shooting him does no justice Garrus, all it does is make you a murderer. We have him now, all your old reports prove what he has done. There's no way he can hide from the law now."

Garrus stood quietly for a second before nodding and pointing a talon towards the doctor.

"You are a very lucky salarian Saleon." He spoke through his teeth.

Moving to cuff the man, he then pulled out his gun.

"I should offer a thanks but... I'm not one for unneeded pleasantries."

Within a second, Jane had ended the man with a single shot through the head.

…...

They arrived back to the Normandy at would be midnight, ship time. Garrus had shoved his way off the shuttle and towards the elevator, leaving Jane and Nihlus to themselves. The two stripped off their armor, not sharing a word. Nihlus would try, telling her she had made the right decision but she would just shake off his compliments with a nod of her head. Shortly after, with an arm around Jane's waist, Nihlus brought them both to their bed. He fell back into the sheets first and then dragged her down on top of him. She molded herself into him but where their should have been lust sat frustration. Nihlus rolled them to their sides, so that he could get a look at her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Jane sighed and rolled her eyes.

"When do I ever want to talk about it?" She looked back to his face to find it blank. She sighed again. "I'm sorry. I'm just sick of putting effort in and getting nowhere."

Nihlus hummed in recognition.

"So that's what this is about." He tilted his head up and brought her closer to him so that her head rested under his chin. "Don't worry about Garrus. What you've done for him is still more than most would. He'll come around and if he doesn't then I'll talk to him."

Jane pushed herself away from him and sat up.

"That's not what I want Nihlus. I want him to trust me like he did before. We were so close before, I just want him to see me as something other than Commander and murderer."

"I see." Nihlus replied. "And are we still talking about Garrus here or the rest of the galaxy?"

Shepard looked to him with annoyance.

"Can we not start this shit again?"

"I think you need to talk this out Jane. You can't keep everything bottled up forever."

Jane shook her head.

"If I needed to talk then I would. I know you care Nihlus but I don't need you coddling me all the time."

Nihlus sat up himself and then tackled Jane back into the bed.

"Fine. You've made your case, you're a hard-ass soldier that doesn't need her boyfriend to try and help her." He started kissing her face vigorously. "But your boyfriend needs you to help him." He purred suggestively.

Jane didn't move underneath him. 'Boyfriend'. Is that what he saw himself as? Was she ok with that? She didn't know how to react. She had just confessed her love for him, to herself, just a few hours ago. Now he was throwing titles around. Jane felt awfully rushed and scared. She was scared of love, scared of how it could be used against her once again. By now, Nihlus had noticed her hesitance and had halted his vigorous attempts at trying to get her into the mood. Jane took that chance to remove herself from grasps. She walked herself to the shower and made sure to take as long as she could. By the time she got out, Nihlus had fallen asleep, leaving her side of the bed neatly made. She didn't even bother dressing as she crept into bed and placed a kiss on the turian's mouth. She still wasn't comfortable with the title he had given himself but maybe someday she would be.


	22. Chapter 22

The entire crew of the Normandy was awoken by the sound of panic. Alarms and flashing lights filled every space on the ship, as it's crew rushed to their stations. Nihlus with an annoyed growl, left the side of his naked companion and dressed, preparing himself to meet whatever problem had emerged. It didn't surprise him when Jane was out of bed shortly after, as she dressed beside him and then followed his lead as they made it down the elevator and towards the war room.

"Status report." Bellowed Nihlus.

A small women who sat at a terminal spoke up first.

"The ship has sustained zero damage Sir and there's no indication of a threat nearby."

Nihlus gave her a confused look.

"Then what's the meaning of all this." He motioned to the lights and alarms still going off around the ship. "Shut it off."

"We're trying Sir. There's a program within the ship's systems that aren't allowing me to access the controls."

At that moment, Nihlus turned to glare at Jane.

"What did you do?"

Jane glared back with surprise.

"I have nothing to gain from a few bells and whistles. This isn't my work."

"Then who is it?" He turned to all the analysts in the room. "Figure it out!" He shouted before heading off towards the cockpit.

Jane huffed and again followed him.

"What's the matter? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" She giggled.

Nihlus spun on his heals to look at her.

"For a matter of fact; I was! I was woken up and dragged out of bed with my beautiful girlfriend just to be told it was for no reason and on top of that, there's an unknown virus in my ship! So Jane yes, it been an appalling morning and I don't need your harassment to make it worse."

Jane stood, jaw clenched and arms crossed.

"Well I'm sorry for trying to help. Go ahead and have fun with your little pity party. Come find me when you've gained your maturity back."

She stalked away to the unknown as Nihlus had turned away from her at that moment. He instead put his focus on the cockpit, so that he and joker could fix the mess.

"Joker please tell me you've got an idea?" Spoke Nihlus.

"As to why the ship is spazing out?" He continued with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, yes. Well do you?"

Joker sat back in his chair.

"The council contacted the ship and wants me to halt all movement towards Virmire. I thought it sounded a little fishy and when I didn't bow to their demands the tried to take control of the ship. I, of course, was able to stop them from taking control of everything but the alarms."

"Set up a link through vidcom. I wish to speak to them." Demanded Nihlus.

"Already on it sir. They're waiting for you know."

Nihlus turned and jogged back to the warm room. He recognized the faint blue glowing of the Council within the communications array in the back of the room.

"Would you like to explain to me why your pilot refused to obey Council orders?" Councilor Tevos spoke.

"Would you like to explain why the Council has control over _my_ ship? Last time I checked, I was allowed to do as I pleased. Out of your direct control."

There was a shift of mood in the small back room.

"Some things are put in place for a sort of reassurance Mr. Kryik." Spoke the salarian councilor. "We simply didn't want a repeat of Shepard's reign as a spectre. Especially since she's now aboard your ship."

"So that's what this is all about!" Shouted Nihlus enraged. "You're using my ship as a prison cell for Shepard?"

"Now now." Spoke Councilor Sparatus. "No need to be so dramatic. Like Councilor Valern said; We just wanted some assurance."

Nihlus took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"As you probably know your attempts have failed. Yet I'm stuck wondering as why you contacted us in the first place."

"Ah yes." Spoke Sparatus again. "We noticed you planned on heading to Virmire. We wished to notify you that a salarian reconnaissance team is there and that they might have more information on Saren before you plan on doing whatever you planned on doing." He finished with a bit of spark in his voice.

"Although we have gained this information, it is unclear if they have met any hostile forces. We fear the team might be in danger. You and your crew should advance as carefully as possible." Continued Tevos.

"And this small bit of information made you think you had to take over my ship?" Asked Nihlus. "I am still failing to understand your reasoning."

At that moment all of the Councilors glanced at each other.

"We are abash to say that it was under false assumptions that we decided to take such action." Spoke Valern.

"How so?" Asked Nihlus.

"After several failed attempts to hail you personally, we suspected the worst."

"You thought Shepard might have done something."

"Indeed we did. It was a bit farfetched but Shepard has done the unexpected before."

"I can assure you that as long as she's on my ship, that there's no need to worry." Stated Nihlus.

"Yes well," Tevos looked at him with a hint of wonder. "You may continue on with your mission. Stay safe Mr. Kryik."

The feed cut out shortly after.

…...

She watched their entire conversation from the shadows. From her position, nobody in the room had realized she was there and it made a smirk play upon her face. The darkness suited her and she had learned, from her earlier years on the streets, to not fear it. Darkness was there to aid not hinder. From where she stood she was able to confirm the information Liara had already told her and also confirm the thoughts the Council really had on her. Some things never changed. The way Nihlus sighed with exasperation after his little talk, had mad her laugh, giving away her position.

"It seems we may have more things than I thought in common." She joked.

Nihlus rushed to embrace her.

"It seems as though our hatred for the Council will fuel our love."

They both shared a laugh.

"I'm sorry for snapping on you earlier." Spoke Nihlus again, releasing her from his grasps. "It's been a rushed and confusing morning."

"So, we're heading to Virmire huh? Think we'll finally get the bastard?" she asked.

Nihlus smirked at the thought.

"Our chances are good Jane. He has no reason to know we're coming, I hope he enjoys his lasts hours."

Jane's smile faded as Garrus walked into the war room.

"Ah there you are." He spoke towards her. "I was hoping we could talk."

Jane nodded and Nihlus gave her a wink as she followed Garrus to the elevator.

"I'm glad you decided to humor me." He spoke. "I actually prepared a speak for when you turned me down."

Jane let herself smirk. Then they stepped out onto the shuttle bay. Garrus brought them both to the corner, where the found two crates to sit on. They sat in silence for what seemed like ages.

"You brought me all the way down here to sit on some crates?" She played.

Garrus tensed.

"No I uh actually." He stopped again. "I wanted to thank you Shepard."

"There's no need to thank me." She insisted before he could continue.

"No, there's more reasons than I can count." Started Garrus. "You've impacted me even before I knew who you truly were Jane. You made me keep fighting to research Saren's case way back when you went around calling yourself Jane Madden. You were also my only friend, other than Nihlus. Then once I found out that you were- well you; You continued to treat me with kindness even when I was nothing but awful to you. Do you know how many times I changed my mind over you? Some days I would admire you and others I would despise you but now I know. I believe the stories Nihlus has told me. I believe him when he tells me you've been set up by Saren and a brainwashed Council. I believe you're the war hero everyone used to think you are. Shepard, what I'm trying to say is; I admire you, and that I will gladly follow you to hell if it comes to it."

Jane sat processing the his speech, emotions apparent on her face.

"I've been to hell and back." She finally spoke. "I'm not sure you'll wanna visit."

They both shared a long laugh before Jane stood and patted Garrus on the shoulder.

"I'm proud to be called your friend and teammate Garrus. Thank you."

And with that she returned to her cabin, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. She wasn't kidding when she said she'd seen hell before, she had, and the Normandy was heading right for it.

…...

Virmire seemed liked a tropical paradise until you got past the ascetically pleasing view. Jane knew every secret the entire place held, from the palm trees that held hidden cameras to the rock structures that hid the automated turrets she had installed. As soon as the Normandy got close, the STG's signal came through and the massive defense towers that surrounded the main base came into view.

"Holy crap." Breathed Garrus as he stood next to Shepard and Nihlus in the cockpit.

"I can get the Mako on the surface without being detected but they will see the Normandy Sir." Joker barked to Nihlus.

"Right. Joker get us as close as you can." He turned to both of his teammates. "Let's move out you two."

Garrus couldn't keep his mouth shut while Jane followed them silently. She was in over her head, there was no way on hell they'd make it out alive. If she knew Saren, and she did, then he had already overwritten most of her security codes and had control over every defense system on the planet. The chances of getting out of the main base alive were small to none.

As Joker dropped them off and they all entered the Mako, Nihlus had given Jane control of the Mako. There was a few small grumbles from Garrus before they started out. Scooting around rocks and evading the ocean's edge, the team finally rounded their second sharp corner before they were ambushed by a squad of rocket and assault drones. Nihlus make quick work of them before they again got rolling. Reaching Gatehouse One was the easy part as all the team had to do was take out the same metallic pests that had helped Saren take over the planet. Once the structure came into view, the Mako immediately came under fire from a group of Geth snipers and the occasional rocket trooper. Jane had to maneuver the Mako in what seemed like six different directions before all the geth seemed to be taken out completely. Then all that stood in their way was the giant metal door blocking their path.

"Stay here." Motioned Jane. "I'll cloak and go in alone, less shooting that way." She finished with a joke.

Nihlus stared at her like she had spoken a different language.

"I don't think so. There's probably an army of geth waiting for you on the inside of that structure."

Jane rolled her eyes before cloaking and placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll meet you two on the other side." She spoke before slipping out the Mako's door.

Nihlus jumped up as soon as the door closed.

"I have to go after her." He hurriedly told Garrus before his friend caught his arm.

"I don't think she'd be happy with you if did. Shepard is more than capable at doing the job. Let her go."

"Let her go and get killed!" Shouted Nihlus. "Unlike you I actually care if she comes back or not."

Garrus furrowed his brow plates.

"You don't think I care about the Commander? She's as much my friend as she is your girlfriend."

Before they could continue their small fight, the large door opened in front of them. Garrus took Jane's position and scooted the Mako through. Out of the entrance of the structure came Jane, running as fast as she could, a geth juggernaut following.

"Open the fucken door!" She screamed looking behind her. "Open the bloody door!"

Nihlus practically dragged her through the door before he returned to the gun and blasted the juggernaut into oblivion.

"Do you see now why I didn't want you going in alone?" He stood over Jane, who laid panting on the floor.

"Hey." She laughed. "That was just a warmup. It got boring just sneaking around in there." She smiled up at him.

Behind them both Garrus smirked, getting him a glare from Nihlus.

"I'm glad you both find evading death funny."

"Lighten up." Added Garrus, as he received another glare.

"Ok you two." Jane interjected before things got more heated. "Let's keep moving before more geth find us just sitting here."

…...

By the time they reached Gatehouse Three, the Mako was in bad shape. After being hit by what seemed like a million more geth and their rockets, the vehicle smoked as it putted towards the Salarian camp in front of them. Joker had radioed the team earlier and as far as anyone knew, the Normandy was grounded and the salarian captain would fill them in when they go to the camp. Now they were there, barely, and the tension within Nihlus' body had drastically increased. As they stepped out of the Mako, a rather large argument was heard throughout the camp. A dark haired woman, and Jane's lawyer were face to face with the Salarian captain.

"What are two Alliance soldiers doing here?" Garrus asked looking to both Jane and Nihlus.

"Good question. A better one would be how the alliance knew this place was here." Answered the darker turian, who then immediately turned to Jane. "Do you have anything to tell me?"

Jane rested her hands on her hips.

"Why is it that every time something unexpected happens, you assume its me? The Alliance abandoned me, I wouldn't run back to them."

Nihlus studied the blonde for a moment before nodding and leading them towards the argument.

"I am sorry I blamed you Shepard. You've done nothing but good these past months I've known you and I should work on coming up with better conclusions than just using your past against you."

Shepard stayed silent behind him as they walked. Before she could find the words to thank him, her space was invaded by the two Alliance soldiers.

"Commander Shepard!" The woman ran over to her, flashing her badge."Commander we need you to come with us."

"Excuse me?" Questioned Shepard.

"What's the meaning of this?' Fought Nihlus. "Shepard is here on spectre authority. Like it or not, she's staying with me."

By then, the man who was supposedly Shepard's lawyer had joined them.

"Nice to see you Commander." He flashed Jane a wide, white smile.

"I wish I could say the same." Jane spit back at him.

"Yes well." Kaidan brushed it off. "As Ms. Williams was saying, you are wanted back on earth Shepard."

"Yes I heard that part but I was never given a reason as to why."

The man smiled again.

"If you would just let me finish. As I was saying, Admiral Hackett is ordering you back to earth in order for you to face another hearing for your case. Since you are in fact, you, you are being charged for you escape from Alliance prison. It will be added to your earlier sentence."

Nihlus and Garrus came to stand between her and the man.

"Under my authority, Jane will be going no where. She is herself, also a spectre and does not need to follow your orders."

The female, Ashely, came forward.

"When did this happen? Last time I checked, Shepard was stripped of that status."

"Shepard is on a highly classified mission, there's nothing more we can say." Stated Garrus as he glared at Williams.

The woman got in his face.

"Shepard is Alliance property, anything to do with her, has something to do with us." She spit in his face.

Jane had to stand between the two before Garrus could tear the soldiers throat out.

"That's enough!" She looked back between the two. "Alenko, Willams. You have ten minutes to tell me what's going on here. I talked to Captain Anderson, the Alliance was fine with my situation."

Kadian stepped forward from behind his partner.

"See that's just it Shepard. Captain Anderson has no say in the matter. Hackett has the true power in this situation and you know that. He should have been contacted first, regardless of your relationship with the Captain. The secrecy that has gone on between the two of you now has consequences."

Jane's brows furrowed.

"Actions have been taken against Anderson?" She asked, emotion present in her face.

"Obviously." Spoke Ashely. "Keeping secrets from your world's military is not a smart move."

It took all of Jane's composure to not knock the bitch out.

"He had nothing to do with my actions."

"Captain Anderson kept you from the Alliance. His own actions got him in trouble." Kadian assured her.

Nihlus came up and slid his arm around her waist from behind.

"We can deal with this later, don't let them see that it bothers you." He whispered into her ear.

Jane squeezed her eyes shut and forced all the emotion that had built up in her head back.

"You two will have to excuse me for now. I have spectre business to attend to, find me when we've finished if you wish to pester me further."

With that she stepped around the two Alliance soldiers with her turians in tow. Just as she thought she was done arguing with the nitwits, the brunette woman had pulled her gun out and pointed it towards Shepard.

"Commander I suggest you stop right there. You're a criminal, there's no way I'm letting you leave my sight."

Jane rolled her eyes before turning to the other woman.

"Then come with me if you must."

Nihlus turned towards her with wide eyes.

"What are you doing? This mission is classified." He spoke only loud enough for her to hear.

"Just follow my lead." She whispered back.

Ashely had holstered her gun by then and was making her way towards the group.

"What about my partner?" She asked once she close enough.

"He can group up with the salarians, I'm sure they'll need some help with what we've got planned." Smirked Jane.

…...

After arguing with the salarian captain and persuading Ashely to no shoot Wrex, the team finally set off towards the main facility. Jane lead her team of now three, through secret paths many did not know existed. Her sneaky tactics allowed the team to reach the cloning facility without a single shot being fired and they had even found and disabled a few jamming towers. Jane was sure she saved about a dozen salarian asses by doing so. As they got closer to the facility, Shepard's renegade thoughts began to take over as Williams mouth continued to run. It was like having the old Garrus on her back, questions and more questions on how she knew her way so well around the area. Jane would have paid a thousand credits to see someone bring a fist to the woman's face. Lost in thought, she was brought back to life by Garrus tugging on her arm.

"Shepard look." He whispered and pointed in front of them.

Two giant, unusual looking krogans stood in front of them guarding two fuel tanks.

"Are those things supposed to be krogan?" The grey turian asked.

"They're more terrifying than the regular krogan." Added Nihlus.

Jane observed the two 'krogan' before her.

"Something has happened to them. They don't look like the clones that were being produced when I was last here."

She got three surprised glares from her group.

"Clones Jane?! This is a cloning facility?!" Exclaimed Nihlus.

Shepard shut her eyes and sighed.

"I know I should have told you earlier but I didn't think it would be a problem." She looked back to the monsters in front of her. "I know now that it was a terrible assumption."

"You got that right." Stated Garrus who couldn't take his eyes off the things in front of him. "How are we supposed to take those elephants out?"

"Two of us on each of them." Nihlus spoke. "Garrus you take the one on the right with Williams and Jane and I will take the big guy on the left."

"Or.." Jane interrupted. "We could just blow up those huge gas tanks next to them and save ourselves the bullet holes."

Nihlus turned to Jane with a raised browplate.

…..

A few minutes later, the two 'krogan' were turned into burnt husks on the ground. Shepard's plan had worked wonderfully and with the lowering of the foot bridge, the team continued deeper into the facility. It was too quiet when they finally entered the underworks of the building. Jane took them all down the sand ramp where a small, half-wall could give them cover. On the other side of them was a group of indoctrinated salarians and a few geth. The group took them out quickly and continued on to the upper level of the base. There Jane found her security console and hack it.

"No alarms should go off around the base now." She smirked as they continued on.

As soon as the team made it to the next room, they were surrounded by geth troopers and corrupted salarians. The team again had little trouble ending them before continuing onward. Next Jane lead them up a flight of stairs before they were halted by yet another salarian.

"Hello?" The salarian called out of his cell. "Is someone there?"

Jane and Nihlus made their way over to the glass cell. The salarian's tension seemed to ease as they came into view.

"I know you!" He shouted towards Nihlus excitingly. "You're a-just give me a sec- you're. Dammit!" He lashed out at the glass causing the two of them to step back. "I'm sorry. Saren's been doing experiments on me for the last six days. I'm Private Menos Avot, I was sent out to scope this building before I was imprisoned. Please will you let me out?"

Jane walked away from the man, causing some anger to rise in the salarian.

"Please don't follow that stupid bitch! Let me out. I can't stay in here any longer." He pleaded towards Nihlus.

"There's something majorly wrong with that one." Spoke Ashely.

Jane laughed.

"Yeah. It's called indoctrination." She worked to decode the nearby door.

"I agree." Nihlus looked towards the salarian with pained eyes. "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do for you."

"No! No!" The salarian screamed. "I can't stay...I can't!"

They all watched as the Private Avot smashed his head against his glass prison, ending his own life.

"Well that was quite dramatic." Added Garrus.

Nihlus looked as though he wanted to knock his friend out before they headed out the newly unlocked door and up a flight of stairs. They reached the security office, where Jane found two of her men dead and decaying with two indoctrinated shadowing their previous positions. Shepard growled with fiery and pulled out her pistol, dropping both of the salarians with once shot. She knelt down to inspect the bodies of her dead men before grabbing the dog tags and heading out the door on the opposite wall. The rest of her team had to practically sprint to keep up with her. Jane trudged across the metal catwalk and through a door on the opposite side, not even waiting for the rest of them. By the time they all caught up with her she was intertwined in a conversation with yet another salarian prisoner.

"Who do we have here?" Asked Nihlus gently.

"This is Lieutenant Ganto Imness." Answered Jane. "He has given me more than enough evidence to bring Saren down.

"Are you indoctrinated?" Asked Garrus from behind.

The salarian shrugged.

"There's no real way for me to know. They did tests on me like the rest of my crew but for some reason I'm still alive." He looked back to Shepard. "Let me go or don't. I'll understand any way Shepard."

Jane worked with lock that held the salarian inside.

"Goes as far as you can." She told him while she worked to free the other salarians beside him. "This base is being blown skyhigh, don't waste this chance of getting away from here."

All the salarians thanked her before running off to who knows where. Jane turned to look at Nihlus before motioning for them to follow her back to the security office they had come from.

…..

They took the elevator from the security office to an unknown science facility. Jane had said something about it being her most funded area of the planet, Nihlus didn't know what to expect. As soon as they exited the elevator, everyone in the room knew they were there, everyone in that room knew Shepard. She tried talking to them before they attacked, Nihlus did everything he could to not vomit as he took in his surroundings. Stasis chambers and husks surrounded them. Jane had funded this? Killing people to build herself a husk army? No. Something was off in the way she was carrying herself, she seemed to share the same feelings of the room as he had. He reached out to touch her, to console himself for his questioning thoughts when a bullet ripped through his shoulder. Blue liquid? His own blood and pieces of bone protruded from his shoulder. He heard Jane scream, he was happy that she cared.

…...

Jane looked back to where his hand met her shoulder before her face was covered in his blood. The krogan scientist, Dr. Droyas, had let go one final exploding bullet before his last breath and it went in one side of Nihlus and out the other. Shepard couldn't help but scream as he fell backwards, his wound certainly wouldn't kill him but it still scared her to see his blood everywhere. Garrus had rushed to his side the minute the last husk had been taken down, Joker was radioed a second later. Nihlus was now aboard the Normandy in the capable hands of Dr. Chakwas but now every enemy on the planet knew they were there.

Shepard pushed back the pessimistic thoughts that threatened to take over, only once had she ever let that mindset take over and never again would she let it happen. With technically only one man on her side, Shepard now was forced into tactical mode. Her cloak and cover would now be her best friends and she only hoped there wouldn't be another firefight for the remainder of their time on the planet. But Jane had more than poor luck. As Jane made her way towards what used to be her on base office, she was somewhat relieved to see a friendly face. Rana Thanoptis, a rookie scientists Shepard had hired based on morals and talents, stood behind her desk on the side of the small room they had just entered.

"Shepard!" The asari cried out in relief. "I'm so glad your here! Saren has been messing up everything we've worked towards."

"Tell me what he's done." Shepard demanded in a calm voice. "Besides the obvious cloning and husk army."

"His flagship is a reaper! He keeps calling it Sovereign and he's using it to indoctrinate anyone he can find. Oh goddess Shepard it horrible you got-"

Jane put a hand up to silence her.

"I'm guessing he's changed the pass code to my office?"

"Well yes." Rana barely got out. "And it's not exactly what I would call an office anymore either."

"Get me in there." Jane demanded. "Then get out of here. Hopefully you get far enough away before the bomb goes off."

"What?!" The door in front of them turned green. "That's barely enough time for me to get away." The asari whined.

"You better start running then." Shepard smirked before walking through the door leaving the asari alone.

Jane entered the elevator, allowing Garrus to enter. As Ashely tried to enter, Jane whipped out her pistol , holding it to the woman's head.

"This is where we part ways I'm afraid. I can't let the Alliance know what's down there."

If looks could kill, Jane would have been killed a million times over. The elevator doors closed before Williams could protest. At the bottom, Jane's once office had been turned into a lab of some sorts, probably where Saren would bring his victims to be indoctrinated. At the bottom of the room sat a beacon.

"It's like the one our scouts found destroyed on Eden Prime." Stated Garrus.

Jane ignored the turian's comments as she made her way closer to the machine. She placed a hand towards it, feeling it's intoxicating hum. She inched her way closer, Garrus gave words of protest behind her, she didn't care. Images flooded her mind, the visions the asari gave her on Feros were now complete and what she now understood scared her. In a matter of seconds it was over and Garrus was calling her from the above platform. A hologram, it was red, the devil himself had made an appearance. As Jane got closer, the hologram began to speak. It's voice made her skin crawl then she realized; Sovereign wasn't a reaper ship, it was a reaper. It was alive and had it's own agenda. The vision she had seen was not set in stone, Jane was sure none of it was false. The thing wouldn't answer her questions and if it did, it was nothing but abstract. She could do nothing but fight to prevent what the thing had planned and she would die trying if she had to. Before she could push anymore questions it's way, the hologram disappeared, leaving the room to the silence.

"Shepard are you ok?" Garrus asked from behind her.

A stale sweat had covered Jane's forehead as she turned towards her friend.

"Is that a trick question?" She joked. "I'm not sure how to feel right now."

Before Garrus could answer, Joker came over their comms.

"Shep you there? Sovereign just pulled a turn that would tear any ship in the Alliance Navy in half. We've got to get going."

"Gotcha Joker. See you soon." Jane replied before moving out and back up the elevator.

As they exited the elevator a Geth Destroyer and a very pissed off Ashely Williams, was waiting for them. Jane let the woman deal with it on her own as she worked to release the emergency exit ladder on the side of the room, once it was released she motioned for Garrus to follow. Once they hit the group, Jane waited for Garrus to lower the bridge, above them the geth let out it's dying screech and shortly after Ashely shouted out Shepard's name. The bridge lowered just in time for three 'krogans' armed with shotguns to charge the now three of them. Jane found cover, Ashely slid in next to her.

"Don't think you're getting away with what you did." She spoke to the Commander.

Jane rolled her eyes before finishing off the rest of the krogan, from above more geth appeared.

"Shepard, we've got to move. They're going to flank us if we stay here." Yelled Garrus over the gunfire.

Jane sprinted across the bridge in front of her, looking back to make sure her squad was following. She brought them to an empty wall that soon opened up to reveal a tunnel with her touch, they all entered and made their way towards the drop off area, where the bomb would be detonated. They came out on the other side in time to see the Normandy swoop down, out of the hatch came a few of Nihlus' engineers and a few salarians. Ashely quickly made her way over to the bomb to inspect it.

"This thing will take out more than just this facility." She spoke towards Shepard. "Have you even thought of the innocents that will be caught in the crossfire?"

"Williams, everyone on this planet in is no way innocent. Back off, our plan is set." Jane sighed.

"This is the exact reason why you're supposed to be in prison. You're a murderer." Ashely spat back at the Commander.

Their argument was halted by Kadian radioing Williams.

"We've got a small problem here Ash. I went along to help out the salarians, we're currently pinned down at the second AA tower."

Ashely looked to Jane with wide eyes.

"Shit Alenko! Why didn't you stay back?" She yelled into her comm.

"I wasn't about to sit back and watch the salarians throw their lives away! They needed my help."

Ashely continued to swear under her breath while she came up with a plan. She then looked to Shepard.

"Commander, could you do me a favor?"

Jane gave the woman a look of disbelief.

"You came here and interrupt my mission and then expect me to do you some favors." She started to laugh in annoyance. "You should really think before you speak. I've got a bomb to prep, if you would-"

"Commander please! I can't just leave him to die. I'll stay back and prep the bomb, just go help Alenko."

Jane looked to Garrus to find some answers, he himself shrug.

"How can I trust you not to disable it?"

Williams snorted.

"I was with you as you went through the base remember? I know what needs to happen to this place."

"Two seconds ago, you were totally against this whole thing." Jane stared at her with her hands on her hips.

"I've made up my mind now, ok? Just go get Kaiden and get back here."

From there Ashely ran off towards the bomb, leaving Jane to sigh and turn towards the large door to her right.

"You're actually going to help her?" asked Garrus.

"Despite him being Alliance, Kadian Alenko has done nothing to me. I'm not going to let him just die out of spite." replied Jane.

Garrus nodded behind her, following close behind. This time instead of taking the secret tunnel route, Jane decided to walk through the large trench that separated each building from one another. To her dismay, it was a terrible decision. They were greatly outnumbered, two to ten, the enemy accompanied by a krogan Warlord, Jane pushed Garrus into to cover and cloaked before they were seen.

"I need you to link your omnitool with mine." She whispered from on top of him.

Garrus stared up at her still in shock.

"How the hell are we going to take out all those krogan and geth?"

Jane rolled her eyes and peaked around their cover to get a position on the enemy, the Warlord was making his way towards their position.

"We can start by you linking your omnitool with mine, I can broadcast my cloak to cover your armor. We're going to have to do this as stealthy as possible."

Garrus brought up his arm from underneath Shepard, resting it on her back so that he could access it. The motion brought their faces inches from each other, Garrus couldn't help but shiver from Jane's breath that danced off his neck.

"There it's done." He finally answered.

Jane smirked in resolution as she activated her cloak and Garrus' armor also became invisible

"I've got one detonator left, let's see if you can make this guy fly, shall we?"

She waited until he walked passed them before placing the grenade on the krogan's back. The two jumped back into cover and waited until the Warlord rejoined his group before Jane pulled the trigger. The krogan flew alright and so did most of the group around him. Jane and Garrus were impossible to find while cloaked and the dumbfounded enemies that were left had no idea what to shoot at. Jane made her way towards the survivors, ending most of them with a single bullet. By the time they made it to the elevator on the other side of the trench, Jane had racked up an impressive headcount, leaving Garrus in the dust.

"You could at least leave me a few to shoot." Garrus joked. "I need something to keep my testosterone up."

Jane smirked at his comment and reloaded her gun as the elevator brought them upward. They got to the top and headed to the left, a geth dropship taking over the blue sky. From afar, it was evident that a large firefight was undergoing, Jane tried to radio Kadian with little success. She sprinted forwards until she could see the remains of the salarian team and Kadian fighting of hordes of geth. Shepard immediately jumped into the fight, getting Kadians signature grin when he finally spotted her.

"I didn't expect to see you here saving my ass." He yelled over the battle.

"Your partner left me little choice." She replied with a hint of annoyance. "She's definitely persistent."

"That's only a small bit of what she is." Laughed Kadian.

As the jokes ended, the last geth dropped. The remaining men let out a small victory shout.

"I really wasn't sure I'd make it out of this." Spoke Kadian as he walked towards Shepard. "Thank you for your help Commander."

Before Jane could comply, Saren appeared before them with his hover-platform.

"When I heard rumors that you were working with Nihlus Kryik, I could barely contain my laughter. I now know that was not just a sick joke. Shepard, why are you here?" He spoke towards her.

Jane synthesized her anger into courage.

"I should be the one asking you that question? Care to humor me?"

Saren brought himself closer to her, stopping only a few feet away.

"Your facilities were the perfect solution to my lack of followers. I knew that you'd be too scared to come after me, so I took it upon myself to put these facilities to good use. We wouldn't want all your money to go to waste would we?"

"Creating, mutated monsters to use as your minions is not putting my shit to good use. You're a fucking sick bastard." Jane spit at him.

Saren began to laugh and then looked to rest of the people behind her.

"I must say I'm impressed by your efforts. For some time I was convinced the salarians were the real threat, you cannot believe my surprise when I saw your face on the security tapes. Good for you for finally finding some courage."

"Revenge is an excellent motivator." Growled Jane through her teeth. "Your head will be my trophy."

Saren stared at her in shock that quickly changed to lust.

"You're incredibly sexy when you're angry, you do know that. Lucky for you that there's people around or I might have taken you right here."

Jane stalked towards him, getting so close she could reach out and grab him off his platform.

"You are not allowed to talk to me like that anymore." She reached to her side to grab her pistol but Saren had pulled it from it holster with his biotics. It floated in front of her face, inches away.

"This pistol is spectre distributed. Is there a congratulations in order? Or should I say I'm sorry? The people who put you away with a second thought are now your whip holders. How's it feel to be a slave?"

Jane snatched out and grabbed the pistol, pointing it towards Saren's head.

"I am nobody's bitch. It's just a title, you know I don't listen to those glorified politicians, I never have."

Saren smirked and lowered his platform to the ground, stepping off. Jane still pointed the pistol at his head, the barrel began to shake. From Jane's point of view, Saren's eyes had softened, his face resembled his own self.

"What are you doing?" She barely got out as he brought up a hand to cup her face.

He cupped her face with his hands, not allowing her to shy away from him.

"I'm giving you a chance. I know what Sovereign has planned, come with me. It's the only way you'll live."

Saren stared into her eyes, their love from the past bubbling to the surface. A single tear made it's way down Jane's face.

"I can't." She whispered. "You can't do this to me."

Saren lowered one hand to her waist, closing the distance in attempt to kiss her. Jane almost let him but a shot taken towards Saren from behind her, brought her back to her senses. While the shot bounced off Saren's shields, Jane smashed him across the face with the butt of her pistol. Saren screamed in anger, letting go of Jane, she used this opportunity to find cover. All those who remained took turns shooting at the turian as he made his way back on his platform, all attempts at bringing him down seemed futile. Each bullet seemed to just bounce off of him, Jane did her best to stay in cover but the infuriated turian seemed to send his attacks directly only at her.

Garrus kept an eye on the woman, she had become frozen in her thoughts, the small, metal edge serving as her cover was slowly becoming more and more blackened with every shot Saren threw at her. He had to get her out of there. Quickly, he charged over to her, grabbing her arm. Kadian had watched the turian and Garrus silently asked for his help, a minute later the man had ordered the remaining salarians to cover them as Garrus lead the Commander out of the area. The howl he heard from Saren behind them, gave him goosebumps, Jane on the other hand become even more rigid under his touch. He pushed her in front of, back the way they had came. Just as the elevator doors were about to shut, Jane escaped his grasps and began sprinting towards the diluted Saren.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU CONTROL ME ANYMORE!" She screamed as she ran towards him, firing her pistol with each footstep.

With her last shot before her clip was empty, the bullet penetrated Saren's shields, hitting him in the head. The turian was thrown backwards off his hovering platform and hit the ground with a sickening smack. Jane was on him before he could even sit up, her fists finding the sensitive spots on his face. After taking the beating for a few seconds, Saren let out a large biotic blast that sent Jane flying through the air and almost over the edge of the tower. As Saren got to his feet, all of his mangled bones popped back into place as though a demon has possessed him. His face was passive as he walked towards Shepard.

"I hope you got all your anger out, I suggest you be submissive now Jane. I don't wish to hurt you more than I have to."

He smiled down at her as he stood over her body. Two shots rang through the silence that had set between the two, each one finding it's make. Saren reached down and took Jane by the throat rather than turning to the one who had shot him. He brought her face to his, sliding his tongue through his mouth plates and up Shepard's cheek. Jane choked out a large gasp and swung her leg into his crotch, the turian doubled over, hanging her body over the towers edge. Below her was hundreds of feet of space, ended by a hard, concrete roof.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't let go." Growled Saren as he watched Jane's face for fear.

"I'll give you one." Shepard choked out as her right fist met his chin.

Saren stumbled backwards and dropped Jane, retreating to his platform before scuttling off. Garrus ran over to her, giving Shepard a look of worry.

"Are you hurt?" He asked wildly and he gently checked her neck for signs of a sprain.

Jane gasps startled him more.

"We've got to get you out of here." He said to her as he slide his arms under her back in attempt to pick her up.

Jane thrashed from his touch, putting a hand on her throat before shaking her head no.

"I'm fine." She barely croaked out.

Garrus wasn't convinced but was distracted by the Normandy flying overhead.

…..

She had forced the rest of the team to leave. It was the right decision, each and every one of them agreed it was her who had to make sure the bomb went off. Jane's, no Saren's facility had to be leveled, the monsters inside could not be let out. Her death would serve as the end to her sentence, she would be free. No more hiding, no more running, Jane could just be Shepard once more. She would be remembered for her sacrifice and that was the way it should be. She sat behind the nuke, listening to it's numbers countdown the seconds left to her life. Wounds from numerous firefights that took place on Virmire, covered her body. If she wasn't about to die in a few seconds than the bloodloss would certainly end her. She'd rather go out with a bang. A smile overtook Jane Shepard's face as the bomb incinerated her body. She was controlled by strings no more.

…...

Nihlus awoke from his comatose state with a jolt.


	23. Chapter 23

His eyes flew open as a jolt racked his body. Nihlus tried to sit up but was held down by two female hands, they were Jane's. Her death must have been a dream, no a nightmare as Nihlus was forced to sleep. He was now aware of the pulsating pain that was centered in around his shoulder. Memories of blue and bone flooded his foggy mind. Being unfocused on the field was a death sentence for any soldier, Nihlus had let himself become careless. Instead he had shifted his focus towards a single, human female, one that made his heart ache with longing every time he saw her face. His love for Jane Shepard would be the end of him and the worse fact was that he didn't even know if she felt the same back. She was one of the hardest people to read, even spectre training had left him in the dust when it came to Jane. She was a mystery to him.

Dr. Chakwas had her hands on him now as Jane shifted upward, her face filling his vision .She said something to him, something he didn't catch but he smiled up at her anyway. Her face grinned in return but Nihlus noticed how to smile didn't reach her eyes, something was haunting her. What had happened on Virmire?

She then left him. Jane left the medbay, leaving him with the good doctor once again. Nihlus couldn't come up with a logical reason as to why but he tried once again to sit up so he could watch her through the glass windows that bordered the room. Chakwas sighed beside him and his medical bed was tipped upward. His head swam for a few seconds before settling and that's when his eyes settled back on Jane. She talked to a human man, her hand resting on his shoulder. The man's face seemed familiar but Nihlus' mind wouldn't let him remember. Too many drugs, no processing it seemed. He raised his good arm and grunted towards the two humans. Chakwas came over and settled him, fiddling with a few more dials on the morphine machine.

"You'll be filled in later. Get some rest." The doctor spoke before Nihlus drifted back into oblivion.

…...

Jane wasn't ready to face Kadian yet, not after the way he had reacted to his partner's death.

Ashely Williams had sacrificed herself to ensure the bomb destroyed her base. When they had finally boarded the Normandy to leave Virmire, she had brushed off their attempt to come and save her. Geth had closed in on her position, the bomb would have never of gone off if she had left with them. A large mushroom cloud filled the view of the Normandy's crew as they left the planet's surface. While stripping off her armor in the shuttle bay, Alenko had found her. His wide grin was quickly replaced with a tight line as he failed to find Ashely's face amongst the salarian soldiers on the ship. He immediately went after Shepard, screaming accusations and questions he already knew the answers to. Kadian then began to sob uncontrollably, not a single care as to who watch him. Jane sat watching in horror as the man sat alone on the floor. She was the only one who stood and made her way towards him, a single hand on his back was enough to console him as the sobs stopped and he looked up to her. He wiped his face of tears and stood. With a single nod he had excused himself from his audience and left up the elevator. Nobody had let a single laugh, or made a single joke for the rest of that long day.

Now as Jane stood from Nihlus' side, the man watched her through the glass of the medbay. His eyes begged her to come to him, begged her to reach out and console him. She whispered a quick goodbye to her lover, getting a smile from him, and left his side to talk to Kadian. As soon as she walked through the door, Alenko had started making his way towards her. They met half way.

"You seemed like you wanted to talk." Jane began.

Kaidian opened his mouth as if he knew what he wanted to say but then quickly closed it.

"If you don't want to talk about it yet, that's fine. I know things like this can be rough." Shepard again broke the ice.

"No. I need to talk about it." Kadian spoke barely above a whisper. "I can't move on until I do."

Jane nodded and put a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder.

"Whenever you're ready Alenko."

Kadian looked down to his shoes and back to the Commander.

"I should have been the one left behind, not her."

Tears began to well up in the man's eyes. Shepard dropped her hand from his shoulder and crinkled her brow.

"What makes you think that?" She asked. "No one should've died down there. Don't wish yourself into that position."

"I promised to protect her." He quickly continued. " I promised to never leave her side. Her family will be disgusted to know that she's dead and I'm alive. I'm a coward. When she suggested to go with you, I should have gone to."

Jane looked into his pained eyes.

"Nobody knew what was going to happen down there. You left to help the salarians, that's no coward in my book. She thought you were the one who wasn't going to make it out. Ashely sent me after you. Stop blaming yourself for this. If it makes you feel better, blame me."

Kadian looked away from Jane.

"I'm not going to do that, even if it is tempting. You already get enough hate that you don't deserve."

"What makes you say that?" She asked confused.

"Not everyone in the Alliance thinks you're a murderer. Some of us believe the story you told the court."

" And you're one of them?"

"I always was and always will be a supporter of yours Commander. You've accomplished a lot for humanity. Plus, how could I forget the woman who continuously kicked my ass in basic?"

Jane's face lit up.

"Oh! You're that Kadian. I can't believe I didn't recognize you earlier."

"I can say the same. I do recall you having naturally red hair way back then."

"Yes. Well desperate times call for desperate measures."

She laughed. Kadian looked to her and smiled.

"Thank you Shepard. I appreciate you trying to help me."

Jane smiled and nodded.

"No problem Alenko. If you ever need to talk, just give me a shout."

"Aye aye Ma'am."

With that Kadian gave her a salute and walked off towards the crew chambers.

….

A few minutes later and Jane was on her way to utter relaxation. She had just stepped into the shower with a exasperated sigh as the overly hot water made its way over her head and down her back. So refused to let herself think about what had happened back on the retched planet. Who cared that millions had gone down the drain? Who cared that Saren had come back to her for the briefest moment? Jane let out an angry growl as she turned her body to placed to hands on the wall, the water now running only off her ass. She had even gotten her-Nihlus hurt in the entire process. Not that it was really all her fault but she still hated to see people get hurt on her watch. Jane turned once again and began to lather her hair with her vanilla scented shampoo. Then there was the way Garrus had been acting since their little talk. It was weird, life was becoming to strange for her. She wasn't used to good things happening. Rinsing and repeating, she closed her eyes, letting the soap run down her face. Suddenly she felt a presence in front of her. She opened her eyes and there standing before her was Nihlus. Every doped up, inch of him. Jane reached out to him but he caught her hand in his own.

"You should be down in the medbay resting." She got out as he pulled her towards him.

He had somehow rid himself of his clothes before sneaking up on her. Jane prayed that it had happened after he had entered their cabin. With his eyes barely open, he brought his hand to her face and smiled at her.

"I want to fuck you so hard that you won't be able to stand." He whispered. "Let me take you right here."

Jane's eyes widened in shock.

"Where is all this coming from?" She giggled. "You should take drugs more often."

Nihlus ignored her comments before taking her mouth in his. Immediately he tangled his tongue with her own and pushed her back against the wall.

"Turn around." He growled out.

Jane willingly complied and a blush crept up on her face as she did so. As she laid her hands out on the tiled wall Nihlus entered her from behind. No sense of genteelness was evident. He pounded into her hard and fast, not slowing until Jane's urgent moans echoed off the walls. He kissed and licked her neck as they went along, Jane never gaining back the control that she desperately wanted. She met her release more quickly than expected, the turian that continuously entered her on the other hand kept going. Jane's inner walls continued to tighten around him and in a matter of seconds, he too met his release. Nihlus quickly pulled out and wrapped Shepard up into his arms, carrying her to their bed. Her threw her down gently and immediately went down on her, licking up the sweet juices he had just caused her to release. Before he could continue, Jane sat up placed her hands on each side of his face.

"Nihlus that's enough." She gently spoke to him. "Come here."

She dragged him up to her face and kissed him before patting the space next to her.

"Let's go to sleep. She coaxed.

Nihlus let out a small whine before complying. He flopped down next to her and captured her in his large embrace.

"You're mine." He growled before he drifted off to sleep.

It happened rather quickly, making Jane smirk. She had never seen Nihlus act so without reason, it was rather nice to see him let loose. Shepard snuggled up close to him, not thinking about the worries tomorrow would bring.


	24. Chapter 24

Jane awoke entangled in Nihlus' arms. It had been nice to see him so undone the previous night, as he took control in ways he usually cared little about. He was still asleep and Jane couldn't help but smile as she watched his chest rise and fall. She snuggled closer to him, her head nestled under his chin. His member grew hard against her stomach, reminding her of their naked state and signaled that her lover was now awake. Jane shifted her gaze and was met by his intense green stare, a look of longing in his features.

"I was hoping you'd sleep in a bit. Sorry to wake you." Breathed Jane with a croaky morning voice.

Nihlus smirked at her words before rolling to his back to stretch out his long limbs. He immediately returned to wrap Jane in his arms quickly after.

"It was one of the better wake up calls I've gotten." He played.

"I can think of many ways to make it better." Jane threw back at him with a raised eyebrow before Nihlus swooped down to capture her lips in his.

"Please. Do not keep such knowledge to yourself." He added but his smirked disappeared with a closer look at his lover's face. "What wrong?" He asked.

Jane let go a long held in sigh before sitting up.

"Someone has to debrief the crew and it's captain on what went down back on Virmire."

Nihlus stilled at his words and his face grew to match Jane's.

"I had forgotten what happened." He sat up, the gun shot wound in his shoulder sending a twinge of pain down is left side. "Am I correct in the assumption that something happened to the human soldier's partner?"

Jane had her back to him, her eyes stayed forward as she watched the glowing fish tank.

"You'll find out soon enough." She turned to him. "And you should probably go let Chakwas know that you're still alive."

A small smile fell over the turian's face as memories from the night before fell over his mind. Jane's lack of presence from the bed was then noticed. She stood before their dresser, pulling on a gray T-Shirt and cargo pants, a distant look on her face.

"You know you can discuss what happened with me. I will willingly listen." Started Nihlus.

Jane quickly put up a single finger to silence him.

"Be down in the conference room in fifteen." She stated distantly. "That's all I'll say on the subject right now."

She then left him alone in their cabin.

…...

No person aboard the Normandy was a stranger to the events of Virmire but they were shocked by the details that rapidly fell from Jane's mouth. She held nothing back, harshness was her way of getting back at them for the loss of her facility. Nihlus watched her with judging eyes but took in the information with better self control then the rest of the crew. Kaidan looked as though he wanted to slap Jane across the face for her forced bluntness but instead chose the dismissive path and left the room. By the time Shepard had finished her debriefing, people practically sprinted from the room to return to their duties. Most of them fuming at Jane's approach at the sensitive subject but most more angry at Saren to say anything. Liara had been the first one to approach her after, offering to combine their minds. The ending effect left both the women with a refined understanding of the beacon from Jane's-Saren's base and that it was in fact a warning for the Protheans and could serve as one for the rest of the galaxy as well. The two turians look at her like she had grown two heads when she told them Reapers were going to invade the Citadel but in the end it was surprisingly Garrus who came to terms with the warning first. Nihlus immediately went to warn the Council shortly after.

"So what are we going to do now?" Garrus asked as he came up behind Jane after she finished talking with Nihlus.

She looked at him with a bit of shock.

"You're asking me?" She turned to him.

"Well yeah. You seem to be the only one with a grasp on everything that's going on. So you seem like the one I should be asking." Stated Garrus.

"If I had a say, we would already be on Illos. We would have already killed Saren, everything would have gone back the way it was. I wouldn't have to face everyone's scrutiny right now. Even when I try to do something morally right, it blows up in my face." She turned away from him to lean against the wall. "It's up to Nihlus. Go ask him, he won't be talking to me anytime soon."

At that moment Nihlus appeared back in the room.

"And why won't I be talking to you?" He asked with a quirked head.

A blush krept up Jane's face.

"Well I just assumed you'd hold the same opinion everyone else has. I don't understand how you're supposed to explain to a group of people that many lives were lost down on that planet with a smile on my face. It's a harsh reality, my words were nothing but the truth. Explain to me how breaking down and crying about it, will get us anywhere."

Nihlus crossed the room and engulfed Jane in his arms.

"Jane. When have I ever agreed with anything bad others have said about you?"

She stood still in his arms, head turned to her left, she kept her eyes on the wall.

"I do agree that you could have told the crew in a gentler way" He started. "but I also understand that's a very hard task. I still cannot control my own emotions on sensitive outcomes such as Virmire's. You wouldn't even be under the crew's scrutiny if it wasn't for my own mistake. I became distracted on the field and I'm sorry. I'm sorry my stupidity causes you more suffering."

Jane torn herself from his grasp.

"Are you kidding me?!" Her face scrunched up in disgust. "Why do you always coddle me? I am fucken Commander Shepard, I can handle a bit of pressure Nihlus. You shouldn't be apologizing. Stop making me the victim in every scenario."

Nihlus' own face became distorted.

"Why is it that you can never talk about your problems with me? If you don't wish to come across as a victim, then why express your problems at all?" He shot back.

Jane stared at him with a clenched jaw and squinted eyes.

"This is why I don't talk about shit with you Kryik! You think you're always right. I don't care if you agree or disagree with what others say! I don't fucken care anymore! You think you're such a model for the paragon standard?!" She moved to stand in front of him. "Poor Jane no one likes you. Poor Jane nobody believes your life story." She mocked him. "Your pity disgusts me." She snarled out. "But I'm supposed to feel better because Nihlus fucken Kryik is on my side. The truth is, it makes me feel ten times worse!"

Nihlus kept his mouth shut, but his entire body was stiff with anger. In between them, Garrus seemed to back his way out the room. Nihlus then closed his eyes and sighed before closing the gap between him and Jane. He grabbed her arm.

"Why didn't you just tell me that?" He asked.

Jane ripped her arm from his grasp and sighed.

"Because I knew you'd act like this. I'm not looking for a pity party Nihlus. I don't need to be coddled, hell I don't even need your support. Just forget about it. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Nihlus opened his mouth to say something but was stopped by the appearance of Kelly.

"Sorry to interrupt Sir. The Council wishes to have me send a message your way."

"Go ahead Chambers." He nodded.

"They've decided to throw in their support for the fight against Saren. They're gathering a fleet around the Citadel."

Garrus seemed to sprint back into the room.

"Are you sure this was the Citadel Council? The Council that refused to help us the first fifty times we asked?"

Kelly laughed at his dramatic questioning.

"Yes. They've come to terms with the danger present."

"Then tell Joker to head towards the Citadel. We should be there to lead the assault." Added Nihlus.

"Right away Sir." Nodded Kelly as she sauntered off.

It was dead silent in the room for about five minutes.

"I can't believe this." Jane finally got out. "They've got something else planned."

"I agree." Garrus added. "They wouldn't throw in their help without a catch. We should show some caution on arrival."

Nihlus hummed in agreement before leaving the room.

"Wanna talk about what happened?" Garrus asked Jane with a smirk.

She backhanded him on the arm with a small smile before following Nihlus.

…...

Joker had just docked the Normandy into port when Nihlus and Jane were summoned to the Council. Jane gave Nihlus a look of 'told you so' and made their way towards the Council chambers. Garrus was of course in tow. Shepard knew what shit the Council was about to spit out before they even got there and of course she had been right. They no longer believed that Saren was a threat, which in no way explained the mass of different alien ships within Citadel space, they were here to protect it. She and Garrus shared unimpressed glances with each word the asari councilor took. She was the only one who chose to talk at the moment. Nihlus listened and commented when needed, he too brought up the fleet outside the Citadel but the matter was quickly brushed off. Instead they brought up the subject of Jane. Again.

"It is increasingly worrying at how much you're allowing Shepard to influence you." The blue bitch commented. "Tell us why you're so insistent at reaching this so called Conduit."

Nihlus explained everything politely, kissing ass was one of his greatest talents.

"I doubt that this- Sovereign you called it? exists. We do not recommend following Saren through the Mu Relay to reach Ilos." The asari commented again. "Meeting adjourned."

"You've got to be kidding me." Garrus scoffed. "Nihlus! Why aren't you fighting this?"

Nihlus grabbed Garrus by the cowel and shushed him. He moved out of the room motioning for Jane to follow closely.

"We've got to get around this tactically. No words will persuade them now." He spoke quietly.

"Nihlus Kryik does have a backbone." Jane joked with an impressed tone.

"Yes, well remind me to get back at her for that comment later." He spoke towards Garrus. "Jane I need you to contact your ambassador for my plan to work."

"We all know Udina won't do a thing about it." Spoke Garrus.

"Exactly." Jane butt in with a smirk. "He may be good for nothing but he'll give us the distraction we need to get out of here."

Garrus' mouth moved to form an O.

"I'm assuming you got in touch with Anderson?" Jane asked Nihlus.

Nihlus winked at her before opening his omnitool to send a message.

"We've set up a meeting place. A quick talk with him and our plan will be set in motion."

"And where did you get his contact info? I do recall him being under surveillance right now." Shepard again questioned him.

"You're not the only one who can hack an omnitool.' Nihlus smirked down at her.

"Who are you and what have you done to Nihlus?" Jane played.

Nihlus finished sending the message and came to hold Jane's face in his palm.

"I guess you just bring out the best in me." He cooed.

Garrus cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Can you guys save that for the bedroom. I don't feel like losing my breakfast right now."

Jane and Nihlus both laughed before sharing a quick kiss and moving off towards the club where Anderson would be waiting for them.

…...

She hadn't even realized what they did until images of her and Nihlus in mid lip lock, were sent to her by Liara. The two of them were very careful when in came to PDA's off of the Normandy. They had just been careless and there would be repercussions, not to mention the Council would be on their ass now.

Jane who had been walking with Garrus behind Kryik, now made her way to the front. She nudged Nihlus with her elbow, bringing up the images so he could view them. He stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes became quite large. Jane would have laughed if it wasn't such a serious subject.

"Maybe no one else has seen them." Stated Garrus behind the two.

Jane released a sigh and turn to point to the source of the pictures. A photographer from Citadel Star network had caught them, soon the pictures would be everywhere. Jane quickly typed out an order for Liara to find and delete any of the copies she found on the web but even with someone as skilled as her asari, it would take time to clear it up completely.

Nihlus huffed and they all moved forward, Flux was only a short walk away, it's music could already be heard. Jane's heart began to beat faster in anticipation of seeing her old friend, the catalyst to her career. Around them, people whispered as they passed. The pictures must have spread dreadfully fast. Jane even got a few jealous glares her way but those made her feel as though she had won a prize. Finally, they made it to the long flight of stairs to the club. Where all of them really necessary? They passed through the large door and there in the back of the club was David Anderson. A man she had not seen in years. Tears of joy almost fell from her eyes and a large amount of self control kept her from running to him in a childlike joy.

Nihlus lead the group with the utmost professional way. He sat with Anderson at his table in the back of the club and the two men shared the common formalities for friendly meetings. Jane could barely contain herself as Anderson looked up and smiled at her. He seemed as though he was having trouble controlling himself as well. She would wait until Nihlus left, then they would have their reunion.

Jane began to tune out of the conversation between Nihlus and Anderson for a bit but was drawn back into reality as Anderson began to mention breaking into Citadel control.

"What?!" She gasped out.

The two men and everyone around them were startled from Jane's outburst. Nihlus waited for all the other club goers to return to their own business before speaking again.

"Now Jane. Let's not bring more attention to ourselves than we already have." He spoke with a fake laugh.

"I'm not going to stand by and let you sacrifice Anderson. We can find another way." She growled out quietly.

"It's not a sacrifice if I volunteered." Added Anderson.

Jane began to shake her head.

"No. I'm not letting you get shot up by C-Sec just so we can leave this place. There's got to be another way."

Nihlus leaned back in his chair, obviously locked in thought. Garrus watched one of the waitresses serve a man at the bar and Anderson looked up to Jane for her answer.

"What about the ambassador's office? Couldn't you hack his computer and free us from there?" She asked.

Nihlus smirked. He was impressed.

"Yes. That would be a safer root. If it is possible."

Anderson leaned forward on the table.

"The man did order the lockdown of the Normandy. He probably holds the key to freeing it as well." He stated.

"Then that's what we'll do." Jane ordered. "I doubt Udina will have a gun. Worst comes to worst, then you knock the man out." She smiled.

"Glad to see you haven't lost you spirit." Joked Anderson.

Anderson stood and embraced Jane.

"Stay safe kid. I'll be in contact." He spoke tenderly.

With that he nodded a goodbye to the two turians and left. A single tear fell from Jane's eye as they made their way back to the ship. She had no idea if she'd ever see her mentor again.

…...

They were given the green light to leave not that long after they had entered the ship. Anderson had set up a direct comm to Nihlus so Jane was left in the dark during the entire situation, much to her dismay. Before long the Normandy was out of the Council's grasp and Nihlus had set them all on a course for Illos. In a good 4 hours, they would be in striking distance of Saren. Jane hoped to end him with her own bullet. As Nihlus talked with Garrus and some other crew on what was to happen once they reached the planet's surface, Jane snuck away and made her own agenda.

She had Liara meet her in her cabin, the only place without cameras and mics. Jane knew the facility they were heading towards. She knew what tunnels Saren would mist likely take and where he was heading. He wanted the Conduit that laid at the very bottom of the facility. She would beat him to it and would be waiting for him. There she would put a bullet through his brain before he could even blink. The past feelings she had from him edged at her mind but she pushed them away and downed another class of scotch. Jane had no idea if Nihlus even planned to bring her with him on Illos but she would be their regardless.

About two hours away from the planet, Nihlus finally made it up to their cabin. Liara had long since left and Jane sat in silence, drink in hand, as he entered. Her position made the room seem unoccupied and this made her situation easier. She didn't know if she could hide her plans from Nihlus, he read her like a book. Better than any man ever had. He would know something was up as soon as he saw her face. When Jane heard the shower turn on in the bathroom, she made her get away.

She pushed the button that would lead her to the crew deck before she even knew what she had planned. Who was she going to talk to? Liara? No. Chakwas maybe? No. Her foggy mind made it hard to think straight. She giggled at herself in the elevator. As it reached the correct floor and she stepped out into the mess area she knew exactly where she wanted to go. She wanted to talk to Garrus.

…...

She staggered into the main battery, her drink spilling down the front of her, and he wasn't there. Any other time the turian never left the room but the one time she needed to talk and of course he wasn't there. She sat down on one of the crates on the side of the room and blew a few strands of loose hair from her face. Then it hit her, Liara would know where he was. Every C-Sec officer was equipped with a tracking chip under their skin, one call and Jane would have his location. She pulled out her omnitool and sent a barely readable message to her asari.

JS: Blueeee Frend. Plls finds mr. calibAtins 4 mez.

A few seconds later she got her reply.

LT: It's my guess that you're referring to Garrus?

Jane sighed into her omnitool.

JS: Yesssssss. Jst tel me wher he iss.

LT: Mr. Vakarian is currently in the showers.

JS: Thnks bluw fend

LT: Should I also send you the location of an AA meeting?

JS: Shit up Liara.

LT: You're welcome Shepard.

JS: Ugh :(

Jane managed to power down her omnitool before downing the rest of her drink and heading towards the showers. She really didn't have a plan on what she would do once she got there. Something in the back of her mind told her that she was seeking him out just to talk, but the part of her brain that screamed more explicit things took over.

She barged through the door to the showers without a second thought. Jane was lucky Garrus was the only man in the place as she struggled to see through the steam that encircled her. Music also filled the space, making it even more difficult for Jane to get her bearings. At that moment she decided that her plan had been an awful one. She staggered around and ended up tripping over her own feet. She landed on the wet floor on her hands and knees. She laughed at herself in that position, she had been there more than once. She stopped her laughter when two large, turian legs stood in front of her. She followed them up to- oh! And she thought Nihlus was big. Garrus created a whole new definition for the word. She stayed on her hands and knees, just staring at Garrus' manhood. Where Nihlus' had been a dark brown, Garrus' was a soft, greyish tan. She laughed again, for no real reason. Jane finally shifted her gaze to Garrus' chiseled torso and finally his face. Utter shock took over his entire form, his mandibles where locked in an outwards position and his eyes were wide in shock.

"Shepard?!" He finally got out.

Jane stayed on the floor longer and laughed. By now the part of her pants that touched the floor was soaked and her hair stuck to her back due to the humidity. She noticed that Garrus had moved away from her and she heard the water shut off before he padded back over to her, this time with a towel around his waste. His large hands grabbed her under her armpits and hoisted her back to her feet. Jane began to laugh uncontrollably.

"I came here to fuck you." She got out between giggles.

Again Garrus' face distorted into shock.

"What?! Jane are you alright?" He asked with sincere worry.

She laughed and blew into his face playfully. His faced scrunched up from the smell.

"Ah. Now I understand." He spoke to her.

He lead her over to the dry side of the showers and sat her down on a bench.

"Stay here." He demanded.

He left her to walk behind a privacy wall where he dressed himself. He returned to her in one of his tight fitting undersuits. Jane watched him return to her with lust in her eyes.

"Will you stop that." He spoke when he returned to here.

"Stahp what?" She giggled and bit her lip.

Garrus watched her with interest before shaking his head and helping her stand.

"Stop trying to get in my pants." He laughed.

"I can't halp myself. You're so sex." She laughed at herself. "I mean sexyyy."

Garrus stayed silent as her helped her towards the elevator. Jane didn't notice until the elevator doors opened.

"What are you doing?" She asked with worry.

"I'm taking you to your cabin. Nihlus will be wondering where you are." He spoke to her like a child.

"No!" She cried.

She threw herself out of his grasp and ran to the main battery. She got herself inside. With a sigh Garrus followed her into the room.

"Jane you have to go back to your cabin." He gently spoke to her.

She layed on his cot curled up around his pillow.

"No." She spoke with child-like defiance.

Garrus sighed again and sat off the side of his cot.

"Why don't you want to go back?" He asked.

"He can't know." She spoke again.

Garrus tipped his head in questioning.

"Who can't know what?"

"Nihlus!" She cried. " He can't know I'm leaving."

Garrus' brow plated scrunched together in worry.

"You're leaving?" He asked.

"I'm ending this shit show." She replied sleepily.

Garrus was about to question her further when her soft sobs filled the room.

"I don't want to leave" She choked out. "but I don't want to be a prisoner again."

Garrus hummed in understanding and shifted to place a hand on her arm.

"We both know Nihlus won't let the Council imprison you again."

"How do you know?" She cried harder.

"Cause the man's too crazy for you to ever let you go." He laughed.

Jane's cries subsided a bit.

"He's not in control of everything." She slurred. "The Alliance will get me."

"Over my dead body." Garrus stated.

Jane's cries stopped suddenly.

"What?" She blinked in shock.

"You heard me." Spoke Garrus. "You protected and helped so many people Shep. It's about time someone did the same for you."

Jane turned to face him. She tugged on his arm so that he would come closer to her. He slowly descended towards her, once he was a a meer inch away from her face, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you Mr. Calibrations." She smiled before snuggling back into his cot.

Garrus waited for her to fall asleep before swallowing his worry and snuggling up next to her. They both slept without a single nightmare that night.


	25. Chapter 25

It was an odd feeling for Nihlus to wake up in his bed without Jane. He had only taken a quick nap and had expected her to join him before they made their way onto Illos' surface. He tried to swallow his worry as he sat up. Not even a single hint that she had visited the room while he was out caught his eye. Where was she and what trouble was she getting herself into now?

Nihlus groaned and cracked his neck as he exited the bed. He was already in an undersuit, for it would save him time before they all had to suit up in armor. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and walked over to the side of the room to brew some coffee. He grabbed two cups, as he assumed Jane would enjoy some once he found her. If he found her. Nihlus couldn't help but wonder if she had jumped ship. he knew as much as she did that after they caught Saren that Jane would have to face Alliance Court once again. He swore to himself that he wouldn't let them throw her in a cell again. The second cup finished and the smell of coffee filled the room, instantly waking Nihlus up from his lucid dream. He grabbed the cups in each hand and set out.

…..

The ship seemed too quiet without her at his side. That was the problem with being so in love with someone, when they were gone you were left with a huge gap in your life. That's how Nihlus felt now and the gap began to grow as each spot he checked brought him no closer to his blonde beauty. He had to look pretty silly running around the ship carrying two cups of coffee and only drinking out of one. She wouldn't even answer any of his pages and texts, adding to his anxiety. Just as he was about to give up, he then turned towards the main battery. Jane had told Garrus many things that she didn't tell himself. Maybe he could pry something out of his friend.

The door was lit in red as he got closer. Either Garrus was wallowing in a drink or he was jacking off. Not something Nihlus wanted to see so soon after waking. He shifted the cups into one hand and override the lock. It swooshed open.

"Hey Vakar-" Nihlus swallowed the friendly greeting he had for his friend.

There, cuddled against Garrus was Jane. They were both oblivious of their guest as they slept. This only caused Nihlus' anger to grow. He walked over to Garrus' workbench and set the coffees down before returning back to the sleeping couple. He slapped Garrus on the shoulder. He hoped to kick his friend's ass without waking Jane.

"Get up." He whispered and smacked Garrus again. "Get up!" He whispered a little louder.

Garrus stirred a little in his sleep but in the ended up snuggling deeper into Jane's hair and settling again. Nihlus let out a low growl before smacking Garrus on the cheek.

"You better fucking get up!" He said louder.

Garrus shot up from his position and tried to make sense of what was happening in his groggy state. Once his mind recognized Nihlus, he began to babble out apologies. Nihlus grabbed him by the cowl and dragged him away from Jane with a growl.

"What the fuck do you think your doing?!" He yelled out as his possessiveness took over.

Garrus held his hand in front of his face to protect himself from Nihlus' blows.

"Nihlus stop! Spirits we didn't do anything!" He yelled through his arms.

"Then why was she sleeping in your arms?!" Yelled Nihlus as he jabbed at Garrus once more.

Behind all the action Jane slowly awoke from her deep sleep. She blinked slowly and sat up, her hair in a mess on top of her head.

"Guys what are you doing?" She asked softly while she rubbed her eyes.

Both turians stopped their pathetic excuse of a fight and turned towards the woman. Garrus shot up from the floor and ran towards her.

"Please tell your psychotic boyfriend that nothing happened." He pleaded.

Jane yawned and let out a small laugh.

"Is that what you two ladies were having a spat over?" She joked and look to Nihlus. "I promise nothing happened Kryik."

Nihlus' face softened a bit.

"You scared me last night when you never came to bed." He huffed out.

Jane rolled her eyes and left Garrus' cot, making her way towards Nihlus.

"You need to stop that." She kissed him and followed the scent of coffee to Garrus' workbench.

"Am I not allowed to worry?" He asked.

"Here we go again." Mumbled Garrus under his breath.

Jane let out an annoyed sigh and went to stand next to the two.

"Can we please allow five minutes to pass before we all start to argue?" She asked before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Isn't that just the definition of our relationship?" Asked Garrus. "Something would have to be wrong for the sarcasm and smart remarks to be gone completely." He joked.

Jane smiled at him and snaked an arm around Nihlus' bisep and the other around Garrus'.

"What would I do without my two turian bodyguards?" She smiled up at the both of them.

Joker then announced that they would reach Illos in a half an hour. That's all the time Jane had left with her turians.

"So what's the plan for today?' She asked still attached to them.

"Once we get close enough we'll scan the planet for Saren's signature. He has no reason to know we're coming, so we should have the jump on him on the planet's surface." Spoke Nihlus.

"You don't think he'll see us coming?" Asked Garrus in disbelief.

"Unless you've blabbed our plan off to some geth, then yes. With the Normandy's stealth system and our unexpected escape from the Citadel, there's no hint that we're heading to Illos. He won't see us coming." Stated Nihlus.

"I know a place Joker can drop us off." Jane interjected. "It'll be a tight squeeze for the Mako but it will put us right on top of Saren's forces and closer to the conduit."

"How-" Nihlus started.

"Before you start asking questions let me just explain something. Saren is currently down on Illos ransacking the only facility I have left. I know where the conduit is and he needs my DNA to access it. Your only chance of finding him is to bring me. I'll get us into the facility and around security, I just need you guys to be my cover fire." Jane interrupted.

"So we're just supposed to dangle you there like bait?" Asked Garrus. "Even I can't agree to that Shepard."

"You have no choice Garrus." She looked to Nihlus, whose face only showed anger. "I'm both of yours only chance at coming out of this alive."

"Why didn't you tell me it was another facility and yours at that?" Questioned Nihlus.

Jane turned to him, her face clear of emotion.

"What did you want me to say? Oh by the way we're heading to my last and most important facility. It booby trapped and full of cameras that would give any enemy the advantage if they took it over. Oh and by the way its built on top of a Prothean ruin and the only thing from keeping the Reapers from invading is also there." She turned away from him, her face turning red in frustration. "Really Nihlus! Just be grateful that I'm even telling you this information!"

"Grateful? Out of everyone aboard this ship, you shouldn't be the one lecturing me about being grateful! I'm the only thing standing in the way of you and prison. I suggest you don't push your luck any further." By then he was inches away from Jane's face. She stood tall in front of him without a blink. "Now I suggest you suit up. It's almost time to start."

Jane stared at him, her eyes searching. She stormed off away from him.

"Talk about playing with emotions." Garrus said behind him.

"What?" Nihlus spat out.

"I'm just saying that I can understand why Jane gets so frustrated with you. You're so bipolar."

"You're taking her side?" Breathed Nihlus.

Garrus put his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I just don't think you should leave it like that before we go on a mission none of us know If we'll return from."

Nihlus closed his eyes and sighed.

"Since when have you given good advice?" He smirked.

"Shepard isn't that bad of an influence." Garrus stated.

Nihlus patted Garrus on the shoulder before jogging out of the room.

"Thanks Vakarian." He yelled over his shoulder.

…...

Her plan had worked wonderfully. Not that she ever suspected it wouldn't, but a small part of her wished it hadn't. She was now sitting in full armor in a shuttle. Away from the Normandy and away from the two turians that had melted part of her cold heart in a matter of months.

As soon as Nihlus took that bait and started their argument she had messaged Vega. Within minutes he had parked a shuttle outside the Normandy and Jane had made her escape. Now they were minutes away from the surface of Illos and Jane couldn't help but think that it would be her last few minutes left in the universe. A gut feeling was telling her that she would go down when Saren did. If he goes, she goes right? He had said that to her those few years ago.

Shepard began to question herself. Would she be able to do it? Pull the trigger and end the turian she said she didn't love anymore? It was times like this that the good memories with Saren began to outweigh the bad. Could she bring him back to her? Change him? Maybe she hadn't tried hard enough in the past. Maybe know she had the resolve to pull him towards the small amount of light she had left in her heart. The light Nihlus had forced back into her.

Jane felt her eyes begin to water and pushed all memories to the back of her mind. She sat next to James who piloted the shuttle. He kept glancing at her and knew just how much it was killing her to be put in this situation.

"Shep you don-" He began.

"I'm fine James." Jane cut him off. "Focus on the mission. Not on me."

He nodded and kept his eyes ahead of him for the rest of the descent. By the time they hit ground, the tension in the shuttle was overbearing. Jane swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself out of the shuttle and out into the planet's environment. Where they had landed gave them a huge tactical advantage. Saren would had no clue that they were on the planet, let alone sitting on top of the very facility he presided in. This brought some reassurance back into Jane's body.

"Be ready to head out in five." She told the small squadron that accompanied her.

Jane quickly checked over her rifle before scouting ahead of the group. They would catch up soon enough. James was staying back with the shuttle to keep an eye out for the Normandy's crew and to serve as backup if needed. So Jane, being basically on her own, ran ahead and hoped to whatever greater force there was out in the universe that she got to Saren before Nihlus and Garrus set foot on the planet.

Once she reached the first door she wasn't surprised to see the security code changed. It was practically a useless precaution as Jane could just hack through it anyway, as she did in a matter of seconds. When she finally got inside her main goal was to override security to ensure herself complete control over the facility. She would have no chance if it remained in Saren's control.

As she passed through the empty hallways and closer to the ruins that laid inside the structure, two geth armatures came to stand in her way. Leaving Jane to waste more time and run to the can be shutdown using the Armature Control terminal in the Lower Ruins area. She began to sprint to the end of the area, taking a series of ramps down to the reach the lower ruins. Moving north until she reached a small area that contains geth stalkers and sappers, Jane quickly cloaked and sought out higher ground. From her position, hanging from a exposed rafter, she could see the terminal next to the entrance of the room in the opposite direction she had come. Jane activated her silencer and began to take out any geth that dared to step away from the large group that sat in the center of the room. Eventually the others began to notice the lack of company and began to seek out the sniper. They were unsuccessful and jane was able to decrypt the terminal and head back the way she came.

…...

When she returned back she began to follow the southern hallway so she could reach the Courtyard. A group of geth in the courtyard were of course waiting for her, their systems had now all notified each other that a hostile was present. Jane took them out with ease and started towards the elevator at the other end of the area. A couple of geth shock troopers and a group of jumpers stood in her path, so she just cloaked and watched them fumble around a but before putting them out of their walked over to the elevator that leads up to the Security Station. Inside she felt herself filled with doom once more. Each step she made took her closer to the conduit, where Saren would most likely be. She continued to mentally prepare herself for the stake to come.

At the center of the Armature Bay stood a vast number of geth troops and a hulking geth prime. The prime was the only powerful variant of geth, so Jane simply used her tech abilities to weaken it, and then cloaked and quickly activated her overkill drive that would allow her to destroy the Prime as quickly as possible. The job was time consuming but Use the Armature Repair stations at the head of the bay to raise some geth armatures to help wipe out the remaining geth. Once the area was clear, she made her way to the opposite end of the Armature Bay and headed up one of the ramps there to reach the Security Room. Jane quickly hacked the Security Panel to activate a strange recording. It was cryptic and unclear, probably due to the bug Saren had put into the facilitie's system. She uploaded the data to her omnitool and headed towards the elevator at the north end of the Security Station and hits the button that will take her back to the Plaza area. As soon as the doors opened she was met the many familiar faces of Nihlus' crew, along with some unknown Alliance personnel. The bastards had probably followed them out here to collect her. They had cleared out the area and were using it as a landing zone for their Makos. Jane cursed to herself and cloaked. As long as Garrus wasn't around, she could make it into the tram tunnel and towards the archives, without being detected. Just as she was about to step into the open, a large, taloned hand grabbed her.

"Step out there and they'll put you in cuffs." Whispered Garrus.

Jane stood rigid under his touch, not knowing what to expect.

"And what are my options if I stay here?" She asked.

NIhlus appeared a few seconds later and smiled at her.

"I knew we'd find you here."

Garrus let go of here and motioned towards the Alliance soldiers.

"They boarded the ship as soon as we realized you were missing. They demanded that we hand you over, you should have seen their faces when we told them you weren't aboard." he chuckled.

"It was quite a- lucky coincidence." Winked Nihlus.

Jane watched the Alliance soldiers parade around the entrance.

"So what's the plan?" Asked Jane. "Are you going to turn me in and go get Saren yourselves?"

Nihlus shook his head and cupped her cheek.

"I don't want to think about life without you. You're not going back to prison under my watch. They'll have to pry you out of my lifeless arms before I see that happen." He dropped his hand and looked at the Alliance soldiers. "We are here to help you Shepard. Whatever you have planned, it's not something you have to do alone. Let me handle the Alliance. I'll meet you and Garrus back inside the facility."

Jane stared at him in adoration before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Thank you Nihlus." She whispered in his ear before she let him go and watched him walk towards the opening.

She and Garrus waited for him to start talking to the group of soldiers before they snuck off. They slipped inside and waited. After a few minutes Jane began to feel unsettled.

"What if something happened?" She asked Garrus quickly.

Garrus looked at her with a smirk.

"It's weird to see you worried." He laughed. "But I'm sure Nihlus can handle a few Alliance soldiers if something did go wrong."

At that moment, a group of geth decided to come through the tram tunnel. They headed towards the opening where the Alliance soldiers and the rest of Nihlus' crew waited. Jane held her breath and waited to hear the gunshots. After a few moments she got what she was waiting for. Shots rang off and then Nihlus' large form was running towards them.

"Well that was one hell of a distraction." he yelled as he came towards them. "Good thing too. They weren't buying my spiel about Garrus going rouge and helping you."

Jane laughed.

"That was your big plan?"

"I can't believe you-Why did you have to use me-ugh." Garrus whined.

"It doesn't matter now." Stated Nihlus. "They're busy with that group of geth now." He panted once he got to them. "Let's get moving before they notice I'm gone." He added.

Jane took his advice and began to move deeper into the facility. She knew every inch of the place. Every secret tunnel, every corner so with that knowledge she was able to lead her two companions pretty far into the place. She lead them towards the intel sector with first stretch is clear of geth, but once they got to the cross paths of the trans tunnels, a group of rocket troopers stood guard at the mouth of the second tunnel. Jane cloaked in habit and moved to a better position to serve as cover fire for Garrus and Nihlus. Garrus went in first with, hitting one of the troopers with a shock. Nihlus followed behind with an overkill while Jane took the final shot that ended the machine's life. They continued moving forward until a large barrier was visible in the distance. Jane stopped abruptly.

"Saren activated the emergency security in this sector. He must know we're here."

"But how?" Asked Garrus. "We came in silently, the cameras are jammed. I know you shut down most of the systems."

"He must have a mole in your crew." She stated. "There's no other logical reasoning. This facility is basically dark right now. None of it's systems told him we were her."

"I hand picked my crew. They're like family, I can't sit her and believe one of them has committed treason." Stated Nihlus.

"What about that Alliance guy. Kadian I think his name is. Could he be behind this?" Asked Garrus.

"No." Declared Jane quickly. "Alenko is a good man and has shared his hatred of Saren with me. I don't think he's the one."

"Then who?!" Nihlus shouted. "The people on my ship I have known for a very long time Jane. You insult me when you say such things."

"Nihlus. You know as well as I how Saren corrupts people and he has the help of that Reaper. Anything is possible." Jane spoke.

Nihlus' anger was apparent as he stalked away from her to think.

"There's no use fighting over this now." Garrus whispered to Jane. "Let's just get to Saren and we can figure this out later."

Jane looked from her feet to him.

"You're right." She admitted and walked over to what seemed to be just a wall. Jane then began to type away on her omnitool.

A small door then opened from the wall to showcase a tunnel.

"This will lead to Saren." She stated as she walked through the door.

Before Garrus and Nihlus could follow she began to close the door.

"Jane!" Shouted Nihlus.

"I need you two to stay here.'" She declared through the opening of the closing door. "I'll shut down the barrier and then I need you guys to go."

The door closed before they could say anything else.

…...

She could hear Nihlus shouting as she moved towards the end of the walkway. At the end stood Saren as well as Virgil, the Prothean VI that Jane had integrated into her facility. Jane stayed in the shadows and listened to Virgil's lengthy conversation with Saren. The VI gave the turian details on the previous Reaper attack and the downfall of the Prothean race, then finally the VI unknowingly spit out the secret of the Citadel's purpose. Saren listened intently and when the VI had finished speaking, looked directly in Jane's direction.

"I know you're there Shepard. I smelt your scent a soon as you entered." He said in a surprisingly calm voice.

Jane uncloaked and slowly made her way out of cover, her pistol in hand at her side.

"What do you plan on doing now?" She asked him.

He let out a small laugh and turned away from her to survey the room.

"I plan on finishing what I started." He stated. "And I'd rather you stay out of the way."

Jane's breath caught in her throat for a moment. The man she used to love was once again making an appearance.

"Why does it have to be this way?" She asked, her brows knitted in pain.

Saren looked to his feet and seemed to wince.

"You've heard what the VI said. The protheans were a race far more advanced than us and they fell. Another attack is coming Jane, how do you expect we will survive? By working with Sovereign I am ensuring the survival of every species. I will control them before they wipe us all out."

Jane stayed silent and just stared.

"How do you know that you can even control them? Saren you need help! Stop this nonsense and come back with me. I will stop Sovereign, then we can go back to our lives." She pleaded.

"What we had will never return. My decisions leave me no room to go back to what once was Shepard. I refuse to live my remaining years in prison. I will stop the Reapers or go in a blaze of glory. There's no other choice."

"But there is." Jane began to cry, her heart once again mangled. "There's so many other choices, you just have to decide which path to take. Don't make me end you here Saren. Please."

The turian fixed his metallic gaze on her, taking a step forward. Then Sovereign's scream sounded around them. Saren screamed in pain and the next moment he was gone, replaced by the alter ego that got him into his entire mess. An evil smirk covered his face and his biotics glowed, Jane got off a shot before she was flung against the wall and knocked unconscious.

…...

Jane awoke to the hum of the Mako, her head settled on Garrus' lap. Her entire body was sore but nothing she hadn't expected after being bounced off a wall. Neither of the turians had make it known that they knew she was awake yet, so she stayed silent and took in the few precious moments of peace she had left. Nihlus and Garrus stayed silent as Jane counted her breaths in attempt to calm herself. Saren had gotten away, she had given him his final chance, when they got to him on the citadel she would end him.

"Garrus I need you on the gun. Rocket troopers in the path ahead." Nihlus spoke.

Garrus said nothing and gently stood, settling Jane's head on the seat beneath him. She closed her eyes and continued to pretend to sleep, she would help if they really needed it she told herself.

A group of geth rocket troopers stood ready at the tunnels' end, but they were no match for the Mako's weaponry. nihlus then dropped into the lower transit tunnel and continued to drive down the path. Soon he came to another group of rocket troopers, backed by a towering geth colossus, at the bottom of a large decline. Garrus blasted the rocket troopers with the Mako's cannon and then immediately turned his attention to the colossus. NIhlus kept a fair distance between the Mako and the colossus and Garrus was there to use the cannon and machine gun to damage it. The Mako was kept moving back and forth to avoid taking damage from the colossus' projectiles, making Jane finally stand from her fake slumber.

"Why don't you stop running and just shoot the thing!" She yelled over the commotion.

"Glad to see your fine." Joked Garrus from the gun.

Jane ignored him and moved to the front of the vehicle.

"Give me the wheel." She demanded.

Nihlus quickly glanced at her.

"Are you crazy, we need to keep moving or we're dust."

Jane sighed and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Just listen to me Kryik."

Nihlus quickly jumped from the pilot seat and allowed Jane to take control. in the process the Mako was hit by the colossus' projectile and began to signal major damage alerts.

"I hope your plan involves moving before we're blown sky high." Stated Garrus as he continued to fire at the machine.

Jane let herself smirk before pushing the Mako full throttle towards the colossus.

"Garrus give it everything this things got!" She shouted.

"Are you crazy!" Nihlus shouted as he tried to get the wheel from Jane.

"Just trust me!" She shouted as she pushed him off of her.

Just before they were about to crash head first into the machine, Jane swerved the Mako to the right where Garrus hit it with a rocket. The colossus fell with it's final death screech. Jane stopped the Mako and allowed herself time to breath. Nihlus came over to try and push her out of the driver's seat again.

"I think you've fulfilled your quota of suicidal acts today." He threw at her.

Jane stood her ground and held on the wheel as Nihlus tried to pul her out of the seat.

"Nihlus stop!" She yelled repeatedly.

Finally she had enough and let her fist connect with his face. He stopped his pulling to grasp his face.

"What in the spirits name!? What is your problem?!" He asked bewildered.

"I need you to stop fussing and just trust me." She said calmly.

Garrus laughed at his friend in the back of the Mako.

"Please Nihlus. I know how to end all this, all I need is your cooperation." She continued.

Nihlus let go of his face and let his shoulders hang in exhaustion.

"What do you need me to do?" He asked.

Jane grinned ear to ear.

"Sit down. Shut up and be ready to end Saren once we get to the Citadel."

"This Citadel? How are we supposed to get there in time from here?" Asked Nihlus.

"I told you to trust me didn't I?" Jane grinned as she threw the Mako into gear and continued on to the final stretch of the transit tunnels.

"All these tunnels lead to one end." She started. '"I built this facility around the old Prothean ruins on the planet. Look." She pointed in front of them as the Conduit became visible in the distance at the end of the tunnel. Jane immediately got the Mako to max speed and started down the decline towards the Conduit. She went so fast, Garrus couldn't get a lock on any geth around them.

"Ignore the geth!" Jane shouted over the roar of the engine.

They continued moving towards the Conduit's launch pad, Jane hit the ramp perfectly and they warped to the besieged Citadel.


	26. Chapter 26

The feeling of being jumped through space was much more terrifying while inside a Mako. Metal creaked and groaned all around them while the windshield started to crack. For the briefest of seconds Jane struggled to breath with the lack of air and just like that they crashed onto the Citadel right in front of the tower's entrance. She was in a daze, even with fire around her she couldn't bring herself to move right away. Her body began to feel even more aches from her run in with Saren. A slight pull of her arm brought her back into reality. Nihlus had pulled her from the wreckage, again.

"Are you alright?!" he asked while helping her stand.

Jane brushed off some ash from her shoulder and observed her surroundings. The entire citadel had been ransacked and most of it laid in disarray.

"I think so." she said as she took a few wobbly steps.

"That was one hell of a trick." stated Garrus. "Next time just let us know that we'll be making a crash landing."

"That wasn't exactly planned. I had no idea that it would transport us directly to the base of the tower."

Next to them a group of husks made their way out of a burning storefront.

"This is just a wild guess but I'm thinking this is where Saren ran off to." Garrus stated while drawing his weapon.

"We'll see soon enough." Nihlus answered while doing the same.

The husks ran at them, Jane took them out with a shot to the head before either of the turians could let out a shot.

"Playtime is over boys. It's time we find Saren and show him why you don't mess with us."

She ran ahead towards the elevator, killing more husks along the way. She entered the elevator and waited for the others. Nihlus entered shortly after her but Garrus had halted outside it's doors.

"Isn't a little odd that they left the elevator intact?"

Jane sighed.

"Garrus please we don't have time for this. Get on!"

"It's the perfect trap Shep. I think we should find another way." he continued to eye it.

"Use your visor Garrus. Do you see anything out of the ordinary?" asked Nihlus.

"No but-" Garrus shifted from foot to foot and finally stepped on. "If we all die I'm blaming you two."

"Garrus we'll be fine." Jane assured him.

The elevator began to move upward. Shortly they were given a full view of Saren's plan. Sovereign had placed himself on top of the tower while the Citadel's arms had been closed around then. They were then quickly thrown to the floor from the elevator's abrupt stop.

"Why doesn't anyone listen to me?" whined Garrus from the floor.

Both Jane and Nihlus ignored him.

"Saren must have shut down the elevator. He knows we're here." stated Jane.

She stood and shot out the glass wall of the elevator.

"Down the maintenance shaft." she ordered.

The tunnel below them quickly began to fill with geth as tram cars zoomed past them. They began to fight their way to the opposite end of the corridor and up the ramp that took them to the upper area of the maintenance shaft. As they made their way through the area suddenly a shot from a krogan warlord rang out, making the three scramble for cover.

"You've got to be kidding me." shouted Garrus.

The Krogan let out a massive shot that almost decapitated Jane.

"Vakarian! Less whining and more shooting!" she screamed over the chaos.

Nihlus was the first to scratch the thing as Shepard and Garrus distracted it. Garrus was nearly trampled over by one of the krogan's charges before they finally took the thing out. Without rest the three moved further into the tunnels of the Citadel as they came across the exhaust plains of the station. Before them stood massive kinetic barriers as well a large group of geth troopers and a few snipers laying low in the back of the large room. Jane took the right side, while Nihlus took middle and Garrus took he left. It didn't take long for them to take out the group of soldiers but Jane had a few close calls with the snipers before she could find a low spot to use her own rifle. As the last geth was shot, a dropship appeared overhead. Geth began to pour out of the ship in what seemed like infinite hoards.

"Got any plans here Shepard? We're almost out of clips." spoke Garrus.

Jane looked around the room until she spotted the Citadel's defense turrets on either side of them.

"Can you get those turrets up and running?"

Garrus nodded.

"Here. I'm sending you my cloaking program for your armor. It won't last as long for you so you'll have to move quickly but it should make sure they don't target you while you're out there. Nihlus and I will hold them off as long as we can." she stated.

"It should only take me a few seconds. I'll use C-Sec codes to bypass their systems."

Jane gave a little grunt in reply before she began to snipe the geth furthest away from them. Garrus cloaked and sprinted towards the first turret, it was quickly bypassed and began to aid the trio in their assault. The second turret had been slightly damaged.

"I have to fix some wiring on the second turret!" Yelled Garrus over the comms. A few bullets ricocheted off the turret's metal body next to him. "If you two could keep those bullets from biting me in the ass that would be great!"

The somewhat depleted group of geth began to descend faster upon Jane and Nihlus.

"Just hurry up and get it done, we're running out of time here!" Shouted Nihlus in reply.

Garrus' cloak then began to fade out. He opened the control panel on the turret and began to work his magic, while dodging enemy bullets in the meantime.

"Got it!" He shouted as the turret came to life and began to aid the other in mowing down some geth.

The three then came together and with the aid of the turrets, rained hell upon the dropship that seemed to allow a never ending supply of geth to drop from it. After a few minutes, some special ammo and wasted clips, the ship exploded in a wondrous, fiery cloud. Jane sniped the few remaining geth alive and they left towards the exterior defense grid.

Jane ran ahead to scope out the remaining area as the two followed. She rounded the corner near the defense area slowly and was met by the sight of two krogan warriors on patrol of the area. She slowly back pettled into cover before she was seen.

"I heard that Shepard's here on the Citadel." one of them spoke.

The other laughed in disbelief.

"Shepard's just a scared human. She would never come here and face the boss head on."

"That's not what I heard. There's been gossip that she's the reason we had to keep moving bases. Saren didn't want her to get our scent."

"Well I'm not afraid of no human." The one puffed his chest out and beat a fist against it. "If she's man enough I'll take her on and show her how its done."

At that moment the two turians caught up to her.

"Shep what are yo-"

Jane slapped a hand across Garrus' mouth before he could continue. She put a single finger to her lips and nodded towards the direction of the krogan. Both turians stuck their heads around the corner to take a look just as the krogan's decided to look in their direction.

"Got some turians on our flake!" The one yelled.

Jane gave a sharp glare at the two and rolled her eyes before sending one of the krogan's on their ass with a concussion shot. The two joined in shortly after and the krogan's were taken down with ease. The team headed down the tunnel until a juggernaut rounded the corner and charged right towards them. Jane slid between the legs of the thing leaving it disoriented and Nihlus used the situation to his advantage. He pulled out a stinky grenade and pulled the pin while quickly climbing the things back and sticking it to the base of it's neck.

"Everybody move!" He yelled as her back flipped off of it.

As the juggernaut exploded, a geth destroyer came out of nowhere and joined in the fight. It caught Jane off guard and set a few rounds into her shields before moving on towards the turians. With overflowing rage, Jane raised her widow and sent shot after shot into it's head without using a single sight. Once it was dead she pulled out her pistol and continued to shoot the thing's mangled body. She finished by spitting on it.

"Stupid mother fucking machine! Ugh, I hate you fucking destroyers most of all. Go suck a reaper's chode!"

She stormed off towards their next location. Garrus and Nihlus stayed behind, shock written on their faces.

"I'm never getting on her bad side." whispered Garrus while walking.

"Good idea." nodded Nihlus.

The sound of turret fire made them push harder towards Jane's location. They found her pinned down by geth fire inside a terrain hole. The two found cover next to her.

"Why the hell didn't you wait for us Shepard?!" yelled Nihlus.

"I didn't exactly expect there to be four fucking auto turrets up here!"

"Yeah well now look at us!"

"Don't start your shit now Kryik!"

She brought herself up from cover and shot at one of the turrets.

"Just focus on the bloody things that are shooting hundreds of shots at us at once. We can take the geth down later!" she shouted at both of them.

"We'll have to get closer for our rifles to be effective." Stated Nihlus.

Jane nodded in reply, more focused on her shooting then his words. They moved ahead of her, firing in short bursts when the turrets had to cool. After a grueling hour, they were left with some scattered geth. Jane caught up the to turians and told them to head east as she cleaned up the rest of the room. The two were met by some unexpected krogan. Nihlus was charged into the wall behind him before he could even blink, blood running out the corner of his mouth.

"You alright?!" shouted Garrus from behind cover as he worked on the other krogan.

"Yep," Nihlus groaned. "just fine."

He maneuvered his hand to his thigh where his knife was sheaved, pulling it out and slamming it into the krogan's arm. The thing screamed in agony and let go of Nihlus enough for him to escape his grasp. The krogan's head exploded in front of him. Nihlus already knew who had done it.

"Saving my ass again, huh?" he laughed.

"I leave you two for five seconds and you get yourselves into a firefight." she shook her head and smirked, helping Garrus finish off the other guy.

They all made their way through the hatch that would lead through the maintenance shaft of the tower. This was it, she was almost to him. The two turians talked of plans behind her as they climbed through, Jane staying silent in her head.

"You alright up there?" Nihlus asked.

She didn't realize he was speaking to her for a few seconds.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah I'm fine." she finally spoke. "Just thinking about what I've got to do."

"You mean killing Saren?" commented Garrus.

"I have no problem ending him."

"Then what is it? You still love him?" Nihlus spoke up, his tone angry.

Jane let out a long breath.

"Please. Not now."

Nihlus growled.

"How can you love someone that tried to kill you? Not once but multiple times!"

Jane stopped crawling and let her head hang in defeat.

"You know how he used to be Nihlus and I know how it feels to be broken like he is now. I just have a lot of 'what ifs' that's all."

Nobody spoke up and they continued to the end of the shaft In silence.

…...

Saren was above the stairs at the control panel when they exited the shaft. Between Jane and him stood some pesky little geth that the group could take down easy. Shepard's mind willed her to move forward but her body would not allow it. Nihlus impatiently took the lead, not even bothering to find cover before he fired upon the geth around him. Garrus pulled Jane to cover, where she remained stagnant. Nihlus had taken out most of the geth before charging forward. Murder on his mind. This forced Jane into action.

"Nihlus no!" She yelled and ran towards him. "Please let me talk to him first."

She got in front of him and placed both hands on his chest, acting as a living wall between him and Saren. Her eyes pleaded to him as he searched her face. He finally deflated and turned his back to her, a signal that she had won. She sprinted up the stairs to see Saren jump off the platform and on to something below him.

"Stop running Saren! Come back here and kill me already. Isn't that what you wanted?!"

Hearing her speech below, Nihlus started to turn towards the stairs but Garrus stopped him.

"Get the fuck off me. I'm not going to just let her die!" He yelled.

Garrus held on to him.

"You really think she went up there to die? Think about it Nihlus! Jane isn't that stupid. She obviously has a plan."

Nihlus calmed until he heard Saren's voice. He had risen from where ever he had jumped to, a glowing smirk on his face. Jane stood her ground.

"Oh Janey, you thought I was running? I was actually afraid that you wouldn't make it in time."

He laughed and brought his hover platform a few feet away from her.

"We had to wipe out a few hundred of your followers along the way. Sorry to keep you waiting." she smirked.

"You've lost you know that don't you? In a few minutes Soverign will have full control of all the Citedal's systems. The relays will open. The Reapers will return."

"I'm heading to that master control panel and you can't stop me."

The lights in his head flickered, making his breath catch in pain. His eyes softened slightly.

"You survived our encounter on Virmire," He spoke. "But I've changed since then. Sovereign has...upgraded me."

"You're not even you anymore. You've become the machines that you used to hate. Fancy hardware isn't going to save you anymore."

He looked at her, contemplating what she ment before creating more space between them.

"I suppose I should thank you Shepard. After Virmire I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me. About indoctrination. Your words began to eat away at me, like they always have and then my doubts followed. Sovereign sensed my hesitation and implanted me to strengthen my resolve."

He gave a pause and his fists tightened at his sides.

"Now my doubts are gone. I believe Sovereign completely. I understand Reapers need organics." He brought himself closer again and laid a hand on her cheek. "Join us, join me and Sovereign will find a place for you too."

Jane was silent for a minute, trying to stop the tears from falling.

"I would rather die than live like that." She barely whispered.

His hand stiffened on her face and then he slapped her.

"Then you will die. And your companions. Everyone you know and love. Everyone you've ever met. Don't you understand?! You will all die!" He watched her for a moment, his alter ego leaving once more. "The Reapers can't be stopped. Not by the Protheans, not by you. The cycle always continues."

Jane irritation built.

"The Reaper's don't use organics! They devour and discard them. As soon as the conquest is over you'll be cast aside once again."

"I had no choice! You saw the visions, you saw what happened to the Protheans! Surrender or death! There are no other options!"

Jane could no longer hold back the hurt and tears.

"I was always an option! You could've resisted, you could've fought! You should've listened to me! I knew you were becoming a monster but you brushed me off. The one person who loved you more than anything and you wouldn't fucken listen! No look at you. You've surrendered, you've quit! You are no longer the man I knew and cared for."

Saren seemed to deflate ever more.

"You're right. Maybe you're right. Maybe there's a chance for- Ugh!" He fell to his knees in agony. "The implants! Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry it's too late for me."

Jane laid a hand on his fringe.

"There's still one way to stop this. If you've got the guts."

Nihlus looked up at her, the pain in his eyes making her heart break. He pulled his pistol from his holster.

"Goodbye Jane. Thank you."

He raised the pistol to his chin and a shot rang out. He fell unconscious upon his board. Jane had hit him with a Krogan strength tranquilizer before he could pull the trigger. She flipped him over and cupped his arms and legs before dragging him down the stairs towards the other two turians.

"I can't believe that just happen." Garrus said in awe, his mouth unable to close.

Nihlus wouldn't look at her, his hurt evident.

"After all I've given you. You still want to try and get him back." He shooked his head and scoffed.

Jane grabbed his chin and yanked his face towards her own, staring into his mint eyes.

"This isn't about he and I anymore Nihlus. It's about me saving a person on the wrong path. It's about me helping a person I know is a good man deep inside, someone who deserves another chance. I never got one, so I thought it would be nice to give it to someone else."

Nihlus' mandibles were tight to his face.

"I understand Shepard but you did get a second chance. i gave you that. Everyone in the galaxy is blind. I know."

Jane smirked and patted him on the cheek.

"Enough sappy speeches for today. Okay? Let's get going."

She left Saren below the stairs and headed to the control panel, using Vigil's files to regain control of the Citadel. Shortly after they were connected once again with the Normandy.

"Kryik can you hear me?" Sounded Joker over the coms.

"Loud and clear Joker. Tell me you guys have a plan to take out this Reaper."

"Well there's an entire fleet of ships out here Sir. Most are protecting the council."

"Is the Alliance still aboard?"

"No Sir but they've gathered more ships. They willing to take Shepard back by force."

NIhlus sighed.

"We can deal with that later. Right now I need the Alliance fleet to save the Council before they attack Sovereign, do you understand?"

"Yes Sir. Joker out."

"What's going on?" Jane asked worried.

"They're putting efforts into defending the council before Sovereign. I had Joker tell the Alliance to aid in the effort, but most will attack the Reaper."

Jane's face turned red.

"Are you serious! That's sacrificing too many lives. There are other ways!"

"Stand down Shepard. I will not have you second guessing my decisions." Nihlus growled.

Before any of them could react, the Normandy and other council ships began bombarding Sovereign. It shook the entire station and debris began to rain down upon them.

"We need to find cover!" Shouted Garrus.

All of a sudden the Reaper let out a shriek and fell from the tower. Jane watched Nihlus and Garrus run from the falling metal as she dragged Saren in the other direction with her. Then black.

...

"Please tell me she's alive." Anderson spoke as he surveyed the demolished Citadel tower.


	27. Chapter 27

When engulfed by fire and darkness, one's mind will go into a biological response where memories and images of life appear before their very eyes. This 'life flashing before your eyes' phenomenon still cannot be explained, although most humans experience it in dire situations. Yet here was Jane Shepard, about to be crushed by the metal carcass of the Reaper, Sovereign. Her life did not flash before her as the thing came towards her. She had no outer body experience, she sat under one of the only trees in the Tower's garden and hoped it would be enough to save her. Once it crashed to the ground there was nothing but darkness and a few moments that made one ponder if that's how it felt to be dead. Then Jane searched the darkness, Saren's blue hardware provided her with the small insight that she was not, in fact, dead. It was the only light source around them. Jane shifted towards him like a moth seeking out a heat source. A twinge of pain ran down her right side. Running a hand down herself until she came to the source, her leg had been trapped under more debris, not broken but flesh mangled. A short moment of panic ran through her before letting out a sigh that allowed her to collect herself.

Plans began to run through her head, how'd she free herself, how to get out of the metal deathtrap they were under. Lifting the metal piece from her leg would not be possible. The last thing she wanted to do was cut the leg off completely. Saren began to stir next to her, his tranquilizer obviously wearing off. He coughed and let out a grunt before trying to sit up, it being utterly impossible for him with his arms and legs cuffed. Jane stayed quiet, observing.

"Sovereign?!" Saren yelled into the darkness. "Sovereign, get me out of here! I've been trapped, send troops my way!"

He continued to yell and plea for the machine's help, Jane's past conversation with him obviously gone from his mind. Then the turian began to panic, thrashing out at the darkness, hyperventilation followed.

"He's not here anymore Saren." Jane spoke after a few loud minutes. "You need to calm down before you waste all the air we have under here."

Saren stilled under her voice. She shuffled a bit, trying to make herself more comfortable.

"Where are we?" He asked her.

"Under what's left of your accomplice." She spat.

Saren sat quiet for a moment.

"Sovereign's dead? How-"

Jane rolled her eyes in the darkness.

"We blew the bloody shit out of him, that's how. Now try and sit yourself up so I can uncuff you."

"You trust me?"

Jane scoffed.

"Of course I don't fucking trust you but I cannot get out of this thing alone. As much as I hate to admit it; I need your help. Now hurry up."

Saren let out a quick burst of air and began to rock himself back and forth continuously in attempt to get to his feet. He tried using Shepard as a crutch and only succeeded in getting a mouthful of curses thrown at him when he accidentally put pressure in her injured leg. In one last attempt he flipped himself to his back.

"This is as far as I'm able to go Shepard." He said panting.

"Just wait. Let me see if I can reach you."

She reached inside her pocket and fished out the keys.

"A lock and key?" Saren asked.

"I didn't want to risk you escaping." She began to work on freeing him. "Sovereign could have hacked the key system on the electronic cuffs. I needed something old fashioned." With a sigh she was successful at freeing his hands and threw the keys at him. "I think you can manage the rest."

Saren uncuffed his legs and came to stand on his knees. He observed Jane's predicament.

"The metal has penatrated the flesh. I can possibly lift it off but it might persuade blood loss."

Jane closed her eyes and waited.

"Do it. I'll be fine."

"There's a possibility that much blood loss will end in-"

Jane grabbed him by the cowl.

"I know the risks! I said to fucken do it."

Saren yanked her hand from him and sat back, crossing his arms in front of himself.

"Tell me how I would benefit from this."

Jane stared at him dumbfounded.

"Are you kidding me? There's nothing for you. You killed thousands and cost me billions. The only thing left for you is a cold, dark prison cell or a pistol bullet if need be."

Saren let out a quick, cold laugh.

"Is that right? Isn't that where you'll be heading also, to a jail cell? Now that your covers blown and all. Perhaps we'll be roommates."

Jane studied his features once again. "Shut up." She growled.

"I struck a nerve. Didn't I?" He prodded. "I cracked the Shepard's mask."

"I said shut up and help me get out of this."

"And I asked what's in it for me." He waited a few seconds before getting closer to her. "If I help you I want you to let me go. I'll go off the radar, like you once did. I promise I won't start too much trouble but I want what's left of your company. Give me that and I'll help you out of this."

Jane stiffened and glared.

"Go to Hell Saren. I'm not giving you anything."

"Then give yourself to me."

Saren brought his mouth inches from her own. Jane swallowed spit she did not realize had gathered.

"You can never have me again." She ground out through her teeth.

Saren shrugged his shoulders and stood, turning to began to lift the metal side away for his own escape.

"Then rot here."

"You better not leave me here." Jane began to struggle, causing the metal to rip away at her flesh more. Saren continued his actions.

"I would stop moving if I were you." He spoke without looking at her.

Jane lifted at the metal impaling her leg.

"I'm getting myself out of this fucking thing."

Saren stopped and sighed before turning towards her, gripping her hand on the metal piece.

"Your human ignorance and stubbornness will get you killed." He lifted the metal off and out of her leg. "Now if you'll let me be on my way..."

He quickly grabbed her and knocked her out before she could react. Then he lifted the metal encasing up and dragged her out into the open where someone could find her. He placed a kiss on her forehead and slipped off into the darkness before anyone could see him.

...

"Shepard! Shepard can you hear me? Are you alright?"

David Anderson's voice filled her dreams, but the dream was all too real once she felt the familiar touch of a human hand.

"Her pulse is still strong. Someone slap some omnigel on that leg!" He yelled out to a presence unknown to her.

She was then being lifted and her armor was being tugged off. She tried to open her eyes, her efforts failing. Anderson continued to order others around her. She heard the sound of a ship setting down close by. No. A small shuttle that would probably take her to Huerta. Back to her bleach white prison. She forced her eyes open, making herself sit up.

"I'm fine." She growled out, bringing a hand to her dizzied head.

Everyone flashed to her side at the moment, just steps away from the shuttle's doors.

"Shepard!" Yelled Anderson. "Hell of a scare you just gave us."

Jane's head swam some more before she gathered her senses.

"You know how I work Sir. Nothing like a good adrenaline rush." She gave her best fake smile.

Anderson studied her for a moment before waving her gurney aboard the shuttle, he joined her aboard.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

Jane looked down to her leg, the omnigel unable to hide the gash.

"Good. Considering what it may seem."

Anderson gave her a look of disbelief.

"Your face says otherwise." He snarked.

"Just a little blood Sir."

"Yes well." He looked down to her leg. "You're going to have to go to Huerta and get that stitched up anyway."

Jane sat up straighter.

"No disrespect Sir but I'm sure Chakwas would be more than capable at fixing me up."

Anderson once again eyed her up and down.

"You expect me to let you get back on that ship? The one you used as your hideout all these months?"

"Sir. The Citadel would not have been saved if I was locked in a cell. Please just take me back so Nihlus and I can explain." She pleaded.

Anderson sighed.

"I suppose you're right. You never were a fan of hospitals. It would also be better to avoid any of the press right now. Until your new trial is over."

Jane rolled her eyes and sighed.

"That's not a very convincing thing to say to someone who can disappear very easily."

Anderson put a stern hand on her.

"No more running Shepard. More people know the truth now, the outcome of this new trial will set everything straight. They could possible award you your rank and position back."

Jane looked to the floor, staying silent.

"What if that's not what I want anymore Sir?"

Disappointment clouded his eyes.

"Then you gladly decline and go on with your life."

Jane let out a scoff and they arrived at the docking bay before the conversation could continue.

…...

Chakwas had sedated Nihlus in order to keep chaos from erupting aboard the ship. Garrus watched the scurrying of ships from behind Joker's seat, he was now the acting captain with his friend out of commission. Nihus had tweaked when, after five hours, the still hadn't found Jane. There was so much rubble scattered around the Tower, it was almost impossible to know where she was, or if that she was alive. She had risk herself to save Saren, and that did not sit well with her Turian boyfriend.

Joker sighed beside him, making him more aware of the present.

"We've been sitting here for hours, when are they just going to let us dock so that we can get this shit show over with?"

Vakarian sighed

"The entire council just died. You really think they're going to give a fuck about these other ships. The entire Citadel's in chaos."

"I was thinking it was surprisingly peaceful." Joker laughed at himself.

Garrus just glared at him, not in the mood for his usual games. He too was bored out of his mind but couldn't help but worry about the Commander and Nihlus. She had showed him to trust and think. If she was dead, his mentor would be gone. Worse yet, he would hate to see the effect it would have on Nihlus.

"Fucking finally!"

Joker's shouting jumped Garrus out of his thoughts.

"We're finally being paged to dock." The pilot yelled out.

"By who? There's no council. This is a spectre ship."

"By the Alliance. Someone called Anderson." Replied Joker with a shrug of his shoulders.

Garrus' mandibles fluttered in confusion.

"They do know Jane is not aboard, right?"

"She will be soon enough."

Garrus shut up then and observed. Not allowing himself to jump to conclusions.

"I'll take that as an all clear." Spoke Joker. "I'm taking her in."

With that, the Normandy descended towards one of the still functional docks. As they got closer, they could see the apparent greeting party waiting for them, although their faces were unclear. Garrus could make out Jane's platinum blonde from a mile away. Joker gave out a short laugh when he too recognized the woman. Garrus' gut twisted in happiness and relief. As soon as they were docked he raced to the main airlock, practically forcing the doors open himself. They opened in seconds, that felt like hours, and Garrus sprinted down the walkway to Shepard. Without thinking he hulled her into his arms, capturing her in a tight embrace. She stayed tense in before finally loosening and returning the gesture with a pat on his back.

"Its good to see you Garrus." She laughed, her face tinted pink from embarrassment.

The Alliance crew around them let out a little laugh, some of them whispering under their breath. Anderson cleared his throat and offered a hand towards Garrus.

"Captain David Anderson."

Garrus took his hand and shook it.

"Garrus Vakarian. First Officer of the Normandy."

Anderson raised an eyebrow.

"First Officer? Where is your Captain?"

Garrus looked to Jane before answering.

"He's currently undisposed Sir. He didn't take not finding Shepard too lightly."

Jane sighed and looked down to her boots.

"Where is he?" She asked annoyed.

"Snoozing in the Medbay. Chakwas is taking care of him."

Jane quickly limped towards the airlock before he could finish. Anderson smirked and nodded towards the way she had left.

"Someone go help her before she bleeds out." He turned to Garrus, his hand still outstretched. "Show me aboard Vakarian?"

Garrus nodded.

"Of course Sir. This way."

As the group entered the ship, everyone aboard became tense. They were not used to seeing Alliance and having something good come out of it. Seeing Jane fly through earlier probably did not ease their tension.

"I need to speak with your Captain ASAP. I'll wait here on the bridge until you return."

Garrus nodded and entered the elevator.

"I'm sure Jane is already on that Sir. I'll be back soon enough."

"Noted." Replied Anderson.

The elevator whooshed down to the crew deck. The area was too quiet, and judging from the crewmen gawking at the medbay, Garrus knew why. He picked up his pace to the locked door. He overode It and entered to see all the entertainment up close. Nihlus was half asleep and raging on about Jane's death. Jane stood her ground, untouched by the furious turian. She yelled truths at him, assuring him that she was real and in fact alive. Chakwas, pushed into the corner of the room and armed with more sedative, glared at Garrus, waiting for him to take action. He finally did and came to stand between Shepard and Nihlus.

"She's real Nihlus. Calm down, you're not thinking clearly."

Nihlus turned his fury on his friend.

"Clearly you are not as effected as I am! Did you even care about her?!"

Jane let out a feral growl and stepped around Garrus.

"Fucking listen to yourself Nihlus! Have you gone mad?! I'm right here. I'm alive. Get it through your thick, boney head!"

Nihlus covered his ears.

"Shut up! You're just in my head! Shut up!"

Jane glared at him before walking up to the cowering turian and punching him in his mouth. He stared at her while clutching where she had assaulted him. He was totally dumbfounded.

"Believe me now?!"

Nihlus looked at her before standing and laying a talon on her face.

"Jane?"

Everyone in the room let out an annoyed sigh. Jane pulled the turian into and hug.

"Why must I resort to violence to get things through your big head?" She mumbled against his chest.

He let out a rumbling laugh, as if the whole situation never happened.

"I'm turian." He laughed again. Then he stilled after smelling the air. "You're hurt."

He gently picked her up and set her on the bed.

"Chakwas." He demanded.

She set to work right away, scolding Jane about the amount of blood she had lost. Nihlus stayed close to her, never letting his hand leave hers.

"Why didn't you get this fixed earlier. That wound is hours old." He scolded her as he watched the doctor work."

"You know, I don't know if I'm convinced. Are you sure you're not part krogan? You are hard headed and stubborn."

"I am simply worried for you. How does that make me stubborn?"

Jane smirked.

"Because no matter how much I ask you not to worry, you still do."

Nihlus brought himself closer.

"Your request is not sensible that's why I don't comply with it."

Chakwas finished closing the wound and Jane shot up from the bed.

"Hey now! Just because its closed does not mean it's healed. Take it easy, and I want to see you in here the minute it shows signs of infection."

Jane hugged the doctor.

"Of course. Thanks mum!" She joked with her as she dragged Nihlus out of the room by his elbow.

"Alright smartass, you have a guest waiting upstairs."

Confusion once again took over Nihlus' face.

"A guest? Who?"

Jane shifted her weight to her right side as she stopped.

"Promise me you won't get mad and do something rational."

"I'll make that promise after you tell me who's aboard my ship." Nihlus growled.

Jane came to stand in front of him again.

"My old CO."

Nihlus quickly tried to step around her, Garrus brought up a hand to help stop him.

"He's not here to take me away." Jane stepped in. " He's here to help me with my new case Nihlus. They're going to re-open it."

He looked up at her in utter surprise.

"They're giving you another chance? Why now?"

Jane flicked an eyebrow up at him.

"I think we both know the answer to that one."

Nihlus turned his back to both of them, his fists clenched.

"Those bastards didn't believe you before. It took the whole Citadel being torn to shreds for them to realize you've been right this entire time." He turned and sped out of the room in a hurry. "They think they can just waltz onto my ship and tell me how the rest of your life is going to be spent!"

Jane pinched the bridge of her nose while Garrus stalked after his friend. Chakwas let out a sigh behind her and slipped another tranquilizer into her lowered hand.

"You know how to use it. Go after him."

Jane looked down to the medication.

"We shouldn't have to use this at all. I don't know what's gotten into him. I've never seen him so fucking pig headed before."

Chakwas let out a little scoff before inviting Jane back into the medbay and pulling out a bottle of brandy.

"Want some?" She asked as she poured herself a glass.

"Fuck yes." Jane made her way over, scoping up her own drink. "Where have you been hiding this stuff? It's a good brand."

Chakwas took a swig of her own drink.

"Picked it up awhile ago before I got picked for this trip. I was saving it for when we made it through this whole ordeal. Seems like this is the closest thing we got to winning."

"Well we did finally catch Saren." Jane added with a nod.

Chakwas cleared her throat and looked into her glass.

"So they haven't told you yet, I presume?"

Jane looked to the doctor with question.

"Explain?"

The doctor sighed again and set her empty glass down.

"They never did find Saren. The search parties only found you, handcuffed and throw out into the open."

Jane became numb.

"So he got away?" She stood with a blank stare. "They let Saren get away?!" She let out a feral growl and locked her fingers into her hair, while pacing around the room. "I can't even believe this! After everything we did." She paused and turned to Chakwas. "Why wasn't I told earlier?"

"I assumed you had been. That's something you should be asking your CO there." Replied Chakwas calmly.

"You're right." Jane let out a soothing breath. "Thanks for the drink, I'll see you later after I kick his boney turian ass."

She walked out of the room with her head held high, refusing to let her anger take over her rational thinking. Not allowing her thoughts to take over, she kept her mind blank in the elevator and beyond, even when she saw the shit show on the bridge. Nihlus was still in his furious state as he yelled at Anderson, whom of course took it in stride and did not look affected at all. Garrus stood behind his comrade, trying to calm the man with no success. She walked right up to all of them, all of them noticing her besides Nihlus. Even when she laid a hand on his shoulder, he continued to shout obscenities at the CO. She gave Anderson an apologetic look before stepping in front of the turian once. He stopped himself immediately.

"Do you realize how idiotic you look?" Jane scolded. "Shut the fuck up, stop jumping to conclusions and go cool down." She pointed towards the elevator. "I will not have you make me and your entire crew look like jackasses in front of one of my greatest friends and my mentor. Now fuck off and get out of my sight."

Everyone stayed silent. Nihlus was defiant at first, standing his ground until Jane got into his face even more. Not backing down she kept eye contact with him the entire time. He opened his mouth to speak but she slapped a hand over his mouth before he could.

"No words. Just follow my orders."

His anger did not falter as he stalked away from her. He slammed his fist on the elevator's controls and the tension in the room did not leave until he was out of everyone's sight. Jane let out a long breath.

"I apologize for the way he acted. That is not how a Captain should react." She reflected at Anderson.

"No need for that Shepard. Everyone's allowed to feel. Although his emotions seemed to be strongly centered around you." He gave her a questioning look.

"I-uh. Yes well. If it's that apparent then I guess I should save myself the lie, SIr."

"No need to be so formal." Anderson slapped a hand on her shoulder. "We need to discuss more about your case." He looked to Garrus."Vakarian if you don't mind I still need to go over some details with your captain. How about you stand in for him and give him the report later?"

Garrus gave him a nod and they all headed towards the briefing room. Everyone was quiet for a short moment.

"Sir if you don't mind, I'd like to ask why I was never informed of Saren's escape?" Jane spoke up.

Anderson slowed his pace a bit, Garrus stopped completely.

"That's something we will discuss after they've reinstated you." Replied the CO.

"Why can't it be discussed now? Considering we risked our lives to gather him."

Anderson then stopped.

"I said not now Shepard. No more on the subject."

"You talked to him, didn't you?" She pushed. "You made a deal with him!"

Anderson whirled around in a flash. "I said no more soldier. It is a decision that I did not make. DO NOT sit here and accuse me of something I did not partake in. He would be in custody if it were my way, after what he did to you and all those innocents. He should be dead." He deflated and continued the walk towards their planned destination.

"My apologies Sir but someone had to have seen him after he knocked me out and left me there."

Anderson sighed waved the others to go a head of them.

"Look Shepard, nobody saw him. Our efforts were so focused on finding you that he must have slipped away. We found you in an area we had already searched, someone had to have placed you there."

"Are you suggesting it was him?" She asked shocked.

"You tell me Shep. What do you remember?"

Jane tried to look back on the moment was little success.

"It's all pretty fuzzy. I think the shock was the main factor in that. I can only remember the brief moments before-" She stopped suddenly, remembering his hand on her own.

"What is it?" Asked Anderson worried.

"I-That's where it stops. I must have blacked out." She lied.

Anderson placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll figure this out Shep. We'll bring him back in together."

He nodded and began to walk towards the others. Jane did not follow immediately and only left the spot she stood when Garrus came to find her.

...

TWO MONTHS LATER

Jane and the Normany crew stood before the entire Alliance board. They had finally came to their conclusion after months of bullshit and circles ran. Just as Anderson had said, Jane had been given her former positions back. Without a former Council, her spectre status was wavering. After this she had been immediately deployed to clean up the remaining geth around Alliance and Citadel space. With the risk of being seperated, Nihlus gave control of the Normandy over to Shepard, so that they could keep the crew together. From there the story of Jane Shepard continues.


End file.
